I saw "Oz, the Great and Powerful" today, and here is what i think about it. First, i have to say that for me the original Wizard of Oz is not a cult movie as it has been - and still is - in the U.S. So, i suppose that any Wizard of Oz hardcore fan will have a different view than i have on this Sam Raimi prequel. That said, i like a lot Sam Raimi movies, so let's say that i went to see Oz more for Sam Raimi than the world of Oz itself.
For me, "Oz, The Great and Powerful", is before everything a Disney movie, in the sense that it is a classic Disney "fairy-and-witches-tale" movie. In this case there is more witches - good or bad - than fairies but all the elements of a classic Disney fairy tale movie are there: an imaginary world full of wonders, a castle, a jewel city, a treasure, a good character that will become a villain, a thorns forest, a throne for the "prince", a classic fairy tale happy ending, etc... After all, why not? But there is so many elements that gives you the feeling that "you've already saw this somewhere" - including an apple that will change forever the life of one of the character when she will eat it - that the movie becomes a bit too much predictable...
That said, the parts that i liked the most are the start - the first 30 minutes and specially the black and white "magic" part at the beginning, and the last 30 minutes. And from others reviews, it seems that i'm not the only one. It's not that what is in between is not good, it is good and James Franco and others actors do a real good job, buy there is a drop of rhythm and i had sometime to fight to stay awake which is never a good sign coming from me.
But the movie production is stunning and you're really feel immerse in the world of Oz. The sequence with the munchkins is great too, and yes, the wicked witch is perfectly wicked! Good news for Disney, the movie did $80.27M this first week-end in the U.S and 60.9M in the rest of the world. With a total of $150.17M worldwide In three days, Oz is the biggest opening so far in 2013.
And Disney is already planning a sequel to the movie which is the real good news for theme park fans as the fact that there will be an Oz sequel - and of course that Oz, The Great and Powerful is successful - is an important decision that probably will put a weight on the good side of the scale for a green light of the Oz land project at Disneyland Anaheim, one of Tony Baxter last project. There is enough visual elements to create a spectacular Oz land in the back of Disneyland's Frontierland and also enough to create a real good ride with an Oz theme. Will it happen? Let's cross our fingers!
By the way, if you're among those who've seen Oz this week-end, what did you think of it?
Picture: copyright Disney
I almost completely agree with you Alain.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice movie, not a great one though, it's entertaining, very predictable and the visuals are nice, but remind me a lot of Tim Burton's Alice visuals and Oz reminds me of his version of Wonderland (or underland).
Even the moral of the story is really similar to Tim Burton's Alice; that you have to find what is inside you to defeat the enemy and fulfill your destiny, or something like that...
All in all, nice visuals, well done and expensive movie, very good actors, but not a lot of substance and completely forgettable.
It's worth the admission though and it's pleasant lighthearted way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Marco, It's the same art director who worked on Alice and on Oz. This may explain why Oz visuals look like the Alice world, although i think they are different... but you can feel it was done by the same person...
ReplyDeleteYes, you definetely can, thanks for the info Alain!
ReplyDelete"Spoiler Alert!"
By the way, I'm curious about a sequel, as I was wondering how Oz would live his life after the ending of the movie.
He had the machine installed in the throne room to receive visitors, more or less like the way we know him from the Wizard of Oz movie, but if he is going to pretend to be a disembodied powerful Wizard, that means he can't go out of the castle and show himself as a regular human being.
Will he lock himself in that room? I'd rather return to Kansas...
There were something like 15 "Oz" books written, so there's a great many other characters and even locales that what was seen in this movie as well as the original Wizard of Oz.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie might bring a different reaction from Americans. The original movie is ingrained in our culture. I saw a great many connections in the new movie to things in the old. For instance Michelle Williams played two parts - Glinda in Oz, and Annie in Kansas. Annie told Oscar that she had a marriage proposal, from a man with the last name of 'Gale'...Dorothy's last name was also 'Gale', as was her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Many details were taken from the original film rather than the books as well.
I loved the visuals, but I found some of the acting and dialogue to be weak. To be honest I still think Robert Downey Jr would have been a better wizard.
There were something like 15 "Oz" books written, so there's a great many other characters and even locales that what was seen in this movie as well as the original Wizard of Oz.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie might bring a different reaction from Americans. The original movie is ingrained in our culture. I saw a great many connections in the new movie to things in the old. For instance Michelle Williams played two parts - Glinda in Oz, and Annie in Kansas. Annie told Oscar that she had a marriage proposal, from a man with the last name of 'Gale'...Dorothy's last name was also 'Gale', as was her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Many details were taken from the original film rather than the books as well.
I loved the visuals, but I found some of the acting and dialogue to be weak. To be honest I still think Robert Downey Jr would have been a better wizard.
The film is a visual marvel, i felt like i was in heaven while watching the breathtaking scenes . it takes your imagination to unexplored depths. Brilliant use of technology.
ReplyDeleteJust saw the film and I gotta say, it was much better than I anticipated! The plot flows seemlessly as a prequel to the original classic. There were so many good things in this film from the story to the theme to the characters. I'm sorry but I fell completely in love with the China girl! Uh and the thing the wizard did for her that he couldn't do in Kansas was a brilliant detail! But I wont say more I highly recommend the film and am very interested in seeing how the sequels are developed.
DeleteYes Dosti, I agree with you, the film is a visual marvel and it is a brilliant use of technology.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the storytelling is not so brilliant; it is just a combination of a lot of clichés, like most recent Disney live action movies; John Carpenter, Pirates 2, 3 and 4...
I think that Disney should invest less in technology and more in writers; after all, technology is just a resource to tell a story, but the story itself is what matters most without a doubt.
Please Disney, give us more movies like Pirates 1, 20,000 leagues, third man on the mountain, Roger Rabbit... and less John Carpenter and Pirates 3.