Theater Review: Oz the Great and Powerful

This was definitely a risk.

No matter how great this film could be, it was never going to live up to its predecessor. And that film came out in 1939. But, it risks are meant to be taken - and after many years it finally hit the big screen.

Oz the Great and Powerful is the prequel to the classic 1939-film The Wizard of Oz. As Wizard told the story of a young Dorothy Gale being transported to the wonderful land of Oz, here we see how Oscar 'Oz' Diggs (James Franco) finds himself transported the Emerald City.

Now, with any prequel, you already know how things are going to end - but it is interesting to see how exactly we get to the start of The Wizard of Oz.

Oscar Diggs is a circus performer and just so happens to be visiting Kansas for a performance. Diggs is a player, in more ways than one. He tricks women into falling for him - he's the type of guy to have a woman or more in each stop - and he uses tricks in his magic act as well.

After a young girl from the audience asks Diggs to allow her to walk again, and the audience quickly turns on him when he refuses to do it - Diggs and his partner rush out only to get cornered by the strong man, whose wife Diggs had recently been flirting with. So, Diggs jumps in a hot air balloon, only to get sucked up into a twister - a twister.

Here he lands in Oz and meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), a witch who believes that Diggs is the wizard that they have all been waiting for to rescue them from the Wicked Witch. She takes him to meet her sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), yet another witch.

Evanora, who doesn't believe that Diggs is the wizard that can rescue them, shows him a room full of money that he can have if he defeats the Wicked Witch by destroying her broom.

Along the way, Diggs meets up with Finley (Zach Braff), a small flying monkey that owes him a life debt after Diggs saves him from a lion. The two of them also meet up with China Girl (Joey King) a small china doll whose entire village and townsfolk were destroyed by the Wicked Witch's flying monkey.

That is where I will leave it - in essence it is up to Oscar Diggs to save the people of Oz from the Wicked Witch. And, despite even him not believing he is the wizard that everyone is looking for, but he will do his best to pretend he is.

My wife is probably the biggest Wizard of Oz fan that I have ever met. So, as soon as this was announced she was already in the theater. In fact, she went and saw it the day before without me - and then went again with me the next day.

It's tough to meet those type of expectations, but she loved it. I had the same issues in a similar way with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  - which I found horrible and can never watch again.

In my opinion, Oz was pretty darn great. I thought to even come close to the original would be an accomplishment. It is odd, however, that the low point of the film may in fact be James Franco. Although he did a good job as Oz, the rest of the cast was so great that he looked to be lagging behind.

The best two, however, were the CGI characters. Finley and China Girl were both amazing characters. They had heart and humor - which tended to be lacking in a lot of the rest of the cast.

Also, I saw this in 3D. And, this was the absolute best use of 3D that I have ever seen in the theater (though I never saw Avatar in the theater - which I am told was amazing).

Finally, the bridge between the two films was done very well. We see things that build towards Wizard of Oz throughout the film, and I am sure there were even more that I missed. But, those were very cool to see and fun to pick out.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film. Does it reach the original? No, probably not. But, they took the risk and honestly I thought they succeeded.

Grade:

6/50x2: Shutter Island

Hanks/Howard; Depp/Burton; DiCarprio/Scorsese.

Some actors and directors just seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Leonardo DiCarprio seems to have found his in Martin Scorsese.

DiCaprio stars as Teddy Daniels in Shutter Island, a private detective who has been asked to look into a missing inmate at Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. Daniels is introduced to his new partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) as the two of them prepare to look for Rachel Solando.

Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) is the 'wardon' of the hospital, and Daniels uncovers that he and his partner, Dr. Naehring (Max Von Sydow), appear to be holding back a lot of information.

Also located on this island somewhere is arsonist Laeddis (Elias Koteas), who Daniels believes killed his wife, Dolores (Michelle Williams).

Located on the island is a mysterious lighthouse, where Daniels is given the impression that at this lighthouse lobotomies are performed on the patients at the hospital.

So many odd things happen during this film, but all are tied together in the end.

I love these type of movies - the type that keeps you invested, feeling that everything that you are seeing and everything that is said is important to the conclusion of the film.

I am not going to say anything else, just in case someone hasn't seen it, or no how it ends.

DiCaprio continues to impress me as an actor - I just wish he would let loose every so often and perhaps do a comedy. He is well-respected as an actor already - why not just have fun sometimes? He seems so serious all of the time with his charities and causes - crack a smile, buddy.

(NOTE: This was so hard to review. I can't really explain many of the details of the film - it just needs to be seen. So, this is a little shorter than usual.)

Grade: