Movie Review: Oz The Great and Powerful

Posted by Charmaine Blake on Mar 5th, 2013 in Action Adventure, Fantasy, New Releases, Sci-Fi | 0 comments

Movie Review: Oz The Great And Powerful

Early reviews are out for Walt Disney Pictures’ Oz the Great and Powerful! This new fantasy film is directed by Sam Raimi who is known for the Spider-man trilogy. Oz: The Great and Powerful stars James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz. It will be shown in 2D and 3D format on March 8th 2013. Even before the wide release, this new movie is garnering great reviews starting with IMDB where it is already accumulating a rating of 7.4 out of 10 and Metacritic has this new adventure film at 49 out of 100 as of date. Check out an early review for Oz: the Great and Powerful below:

“A Fantasy Come To Life with Oz: The Great and Powerful

SYNOPSIS:

Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a travelling circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. At first he thinks he’s hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking. That all changes, however, when he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting as per the prophecy. But he’s all they’ve got standing between them and the evil witches; as their new king, he’s expected to save them. He is after all, the great and powerful Oz.

Review by Louise Keller:

A second-rate magician, a monkey with wings and a porcelain doll make their way along the yellow brick road in this visually sumptuous 3D fantasy that aims to be a beguiling precursor to the evergreen classic, The Wizard of Oz. By creating a backstory for the wizard and characters created by L. Frank Baum in his books, screenwriters Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire have imagined a magical and entertaining tale complete with good and bad witches, endearing characters, and startling visual effects that entice us into a world filled with waterfalls, rainbows, ruby flowers and flying baboons.

The film’s prevailing theme is its battle between good and evil, with the protagonist’s inner battle of self-interest versus decency. (James Franco aptly is a charming scoundrel.) In his hero’s journey, the pursuit is goodness and along the way he learns that anything is possible – if you believe. If the special effects are any guide, anything is possible -the passport to visual fantasy has a seal of approval.

Spider-Man director Sam Raimi ably weaves the elements of the real and fantasy worlds with disarming sleight of hand. They echo that of its con-man protagonist, whose initial less than noble intentions cut through potential earnestness with which the film might have had to contend. At 130 minutes, the film is far too long, but length aside, Oz The Great and Powerful is a visual feast, impeccably cast and bursting at every seam with colour, humour and verve.

The film begins in 1905 Kansas and in the initial black and white exposition, we meet Oz (James Franco) performing his magic tricks and breaking hearts of every pretty girl he meets. By the time the hot air balloon whisks him through the eye of a twister and thrill-ride down a waterfall to the colour-filled world of Oz, complete with yellow brick road, enchanted poppy fields and the splendid Emerald City, Oz finds himself surrounded by the most glamorous of witches: Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).”

Click here to continue reading the review at Urban Cine File

Check out another upcoming fantasy movie “Upside Down” right in this blog

Charmaine Blake loves movies, musical theater listening to music and taking pictures of anything that she finds interesting. She is a voracious reader and writer, and enjoys her time writing for New Movie Launches. Charmaine loves spending time with her pets and currently has a Siberian Husky, a toy poodle and a cat.