With a flying monkey, a cute living china doll and
three beautiful witches, ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ is a delightful family
film with appealing characters and creativity in abundance.
The prequel to the wonderfully classic ‘Wizard of Oz’
(1939), ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ imaginatively delves into life before
there was a wizard to rule the vibrant Land of Oz, doing so in a captivating,
enchanting, and suspenseful way.
Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is a womanising small-time
circus magician from Kansas who fraudulently uses magic, but aspires to be a
better man, capable of greatness. He flees Kansas in a hot air balloon after
a show goes horrendously wrong, getting whisked away in a tornado and ending up
in the fantastical Land of Oz, where he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila
Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).
As the inhabitants believe Oscar to be the great wizard
that everyone has been expecting, he must reluctantly face the dilemmas the
land is currently facing. As he uses his magic tricks and feats of illusion,
Oscar soon transforms into the great wizard he wished to be, also turning into
a better man than he thought he ever could be.
The scenic elements of this American fantasy adventure
film are sensational, especially viewing in 3D. Stand out visual scenes include
the one where Oscar is whipped up into the tornado in his hot air balloon and
proceeds to make a bumpy entrance into Oz, crashing into a water rapid and
plunging into a waterfall. The stunning visual effects were further exemplified
with evil flying baboons, adorable river fairies and gigantic blossoming
flowers.
‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ naturally takes elements
that are reminiscent of the timeless ‘Wizard of Oz’ film, including munchkins,
the Emerald City, and of course, the yellow brick road, but director Sam Raimi
makes sure to spruce it up with a fresh and modern perspective.
So, with its exquisite graphics, lovable characters
(minus Knuck/Sourpuss, who was merely annoying and seemed pointless) and
interesting character relationships, ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ is a
delightful family film which anyone can enjoy.
By Grace
Montgomery
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