The criticisms of Oz the Great and Powerful are varied, from those who found it muddled to those who found it lacked the heart of the Wizard of Oz to even a feminist critique of the portrayal of the witches. However, if you watch the film carefully it's laced with clues that reveal the true nature of land of Oz and once that's revealed many of the films so-called faults are explained away.
First Oz the Great and Powerful is not a prequel to the books, nor does it take place in the same continuity as the Oz books.
What it is: A prequel to the film the Wizard of Oz and specifically the way the Land of Oz was presented in that film.
Now I doubt there are many people who haven't seen the film the Wizard of Oz. We all know the story of Dorothy Gale, who flees her home looking for a place she belongs only to be swept away to Oz where she meets all kinds of familiar characters while she has an adventure that convinces her there's no place like home.
In Oz the Great and Powerful, we meet Oscar Diggs. Who flees trouble at the circus seeking greatness only to be swept away to Oz. Where like Dorothy he meets all kinds of familiar characters while discovering what it means to be a great man.
What do these two stories have in common? Sure Oz the Great and Powerful is littered with hints that connect it to the Wizard of Oz. But more importantly the nature of Oz, in Oz the Great and Powerful is exactly the same as it is in the Wizard of Oz. The Land of Oz as presented in the films basically a magnifier of the visitors unconscious.
The inhabitants of Oz are shaped based on the visitors impressions. For Dorothy they were older guardian types based on farm hands. For Oscar Diggs they were archetypes of how he viewed women. The gullible and emotional Theodora, the vampy and scheming Evanora, and the perfect Glinda.
Ok, I know some of you are asking what were you smoking but I don't think I'm far off. The first part of Oscars travels in Oz are all ID. He meets a beautiful woman who worships him, he's proclaimed to be a great man, and he's offered the treasury of Oz. But it's not until Oz begins his quest that our first big clue is given.
In the "real world" Oscar had been asked by a little girl in a wheelchair to make her walk. Of course he couldn't, but in Chinatown when Oscar finds the Chinagirl with her legs snapped off he's able to fix her with his magic glue. Thus is failing in the real world is redeemed. Then Oscar meets Glinda who of couse looks just like the woman he loves. The woman he loves in the real world has moved on but Glinda, who despite the fact she is a powerful witch, needs Oscar's help.
If you accept that Oz is shaped by Oscar's unconscious the whole film takes on a new dimension and much more satisfying. But it's not perfect.
Sam Rami when crazy with the CGI and created some incredible landscapes but it never seemed as real as Dorothy's soundstage. Likewise, the actors interactions with Chinagirl often seemed unreal. Speaking of actors we have to talk about the elephant in the room, James Franco. I doubt there's ever been a more uneven actor. In some scenes he seems genuine, he is pitch perfect, he's doing everything right. Then in the next scene I expect him to turn to the camera and shout, "Acting!" A'la Jon Lovitz's Master Thespian.
My wife said seriously that Zack Braff's talking monkey was a better actor than Franco. Better? No. More consistent, yes.
Speaking of actors, some have criticized Mila Kunis performance but I think if you accept the nature of her character as I described it above, she's great. As is the always wonderful Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams.
So is Oz the Great and Powerful perfect? No. But it is quite good and it's worth seeing in the theater. And that coming from me, is high praise.
Tomorrow: the promised Canadian smackdown.
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