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
