Derek Winnert

Information

This article was written on 01 Mar 2013, and is filled under Uncategorized.

Current post is tagged

, , , ,

Oz the Great and Powerful **** (2013, James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz) – Movie Review

images

An astounding looking movie from its 1930s-style movie titles and black and white, narrow-screen start to its glorious widescreen, colour images in the land of Oz , this is an utterly ravishing and beguiling extravaganza. It’s a visual assault on the eyeballs that continually gets you saying ‘how did they do it?’ and ‘how could they afford it?’

A

Amazing sets, costumes, photography and CGI, these will all have to be properly honoured at next year’s Oscars. So, there is no doubt about the technical triumph. It is the best Disney’s $200 million can buy, brilliantly deployed by surprise director Sam (The Evil Dead) Raimi.

"OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL" James Franco, left; Sam Raimi, right Ph: Merie Weismiller Wallace, SMPSP ©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

And how good is James Franco?  Killer smile, cheesy grin and fine comedy skills firmly to the fore, Franco is a total charismatic delight as Oscar Diggs, the circus conjurer showman, who gets chased out of Kansas in 1905, making his escape in a hot-air balloon, only to be afflicted by a tornado, but landing up in the land of Oz, where he’s hailed as the wizard who’s going to save the sweet folks there from the wicked witch sisters and their evil flying monkeys (oooh, scary!).

B

Then Michelle Williams does extremely well in the always pretty vapid role of Glinda the good witch, who knows Franco’s not the real deal wizard-wise, but detects he has a well-hidden inner goodness that can save them all. Mila Kunis (Theodora, Wicked Witch of the West) and Rachel Weisz (Evanora) have a field day in trying to upstage each other as Oz’s resident Queen of Mean.

Though, even so, much more outrageous camping around would be better. They never etch themselves into movie history like Margaret Hamilton did in The Wizard of Oz. This is a big, fat lip-smacking moment all actors dream of, why not grab it?

C

It’s unfortunate that the long running time of two hours ten minutes does the film the disservice of exposing the slightness of the corny, old-fashioned story, based on L Frank Baum’s revered originals. It makes the Dolby 3D glasses seem to weigh heavy on the nose and your bottom shift restlessly on your seat.

There are several talky scenes around an hour or so into the movie where you want to shout ‘Get on with it!’ Raimi is maybe too besotted with the material, and needed to get the cutting scissors out. Twenty minutes shorter would be loads better, especially for the impatient kids who are the target audience.

D

Talking of which, who is the audience? Old-movie buffs? Will today’s too-savvy kids go for it? Maybe they will and their mums should certainly love it. The film has bucketloads of charm and is an admirable civilised treat, but I can’t see many blokes liking it much. ‘Let’s get in a few beers and check out Oz’, I don’t think so. Maybe dads will take their young daughters.

E

Usual suspect Danny Elfman is a shoo-in for the vintage-style score, and makes a thoroughly brilliant job of it, but why, oh why, didn’t they let him compose, say, three musical numbers for the movie? This would have both cheered and broken things up when it was all getting a bit dull and samey. The only musical number is frustratingly cut off short by Franco (though, to be fair, it isn’t much good). And, beware, there’s dreadful song called Almost Home performed by Mariah Carey to endure.

It’s probably the film’s finest achievement that it honours and stays true to the spirit of the original books and the1939 evergreen classic The Wizard of Oz. Yet the Munchkins and people of Oz are strangely sidelined, with little screen time, and the china doll (voice of Joey King) and the talking, flying monkey (voice of Zach Braff) make boring, borderline annoying companions for Franco along the yellow brick road.

F

They are nowhere in the league of Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man from the old movie. They’re just not. And where, oh where, is Dorothy? Lost somewhere over the rainbow, I suppose.

In the event, the movie was a stonking great success, taking $235 million at the US at the box office, pretty much guaranteeing a sequel, with loads more of L Frank Baum’s books to raid.

http://derekwinnert.com/the-wizard-of-oz-classic-film-review-14/

© Derek Winnert 2013 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

10,411 Comments

  1. Exceptional websites…

    continually a big supporter of linking to bloggers that I really like but really don’t get a wide range of backlink really enjoy from…

  2. viagra
    October 27, 2013

    Wow Da weiss…

    Thanks a lot…

  3. supplemental resources
    October 27, 2013

    On line Write-up…

    The data stated with the piece of writing are some of the best offered…

  4. Tien Ozment
    October 27, 2013

    Quello che mi andrei dare avere un dibattito con voi su questo. Devi solo dire così tante cose che arrivano da nessuna parte che nel mese di abbastanza certo Id hanno un colpo giusto. Il tuo blog è buono visivamente, intendo la gente non sarà annoiato. Ma altri che possono vedere oltre i video e il layout non sarà così impressionato con la vostra comprensione generico di questo argomento.

  5. Full File
    October 27, 2013

    Webpages we consider it is best to have a look at…

    although web pages we backlink to beneath are noticeably not connected to ours, we believe they are really really worth a go through, so have a very look…

  6. act math dvds
    October 27, 2013

    Whispering Misty…

    So sorry you can skip the workshop!…

  7. tenerife webcams
    October 27, 2013

    tenerife webcams…

    […]Here are a few of the web pages we recommend for our visitors[…]…

  8. visit the following post
    October 27, 2013

    Intercontinental Visitors Machine examination…

    make sure you check out the internet webpages we comply with, like this a single individual, because it represents our picks in the online…

  9. cash advance lenders
    October 27, 2013

    how to start online business…

    You were visited with simply excellent idea with payday loan and how to start online business now!…

  10. I’m very happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.

  11. Full Record
    October 27, 2013

    Internet sites it is advisable to head over to…

    beneath you will discover the hyperlink to some webpages that we think that you should stop by…

  12. Innovatiebox
    October 27, 2013

    Great website…

    […]we like to honor many other internet sites on the web, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[…]……

  13. visit the following web page
    October 27, 2013

    You’ll want to verify this out…

    Online websites of curiosity now we have a backlink to…

  14. Sylwester w gorach
    October 27, 2013

    You should check this out…

    […] Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nevertheless really worth taking a look, whoa did one learn about Mid East has got more problerms as well […]……

  15. Sylwester w gorach 2013/2014
    October 27, 2013

    Links…

    […]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]……

  16. Continuing
    October 27, 2013

    Internet Write-up…

    The information stated while in the short article are a few of the greatest around…

  17. Go Here
    October 27, 2013

    Examine was captivating, stay in touch…

    make sure you pay a visit to the web pages we go along with, including this a single, due to the fact it signifies our picks from your world-wide-web…

  18. visit the next website page
    October 27, 2013

    Customer suggestions…

    among our website visitors not long ago encouraged the next blog…

  19. Continued
    October 27, 2013

    Gems from your on-line…

    pretty very few sites that take place to be comprehensive underneath, from our perspective are certainly very well price checking out…

  20. Amazing websites…

    we arrived throughout a great blog that you just might possibly like. Just take a glance in order for you…

  21. Bobbie Rances
    October 27, 2013

    There are definitely plenty of details like that to take into consideration. That may be a nice point to bring up. I supply the thoughts above as common inspiration however clearly there are questions like the one you deliver up where the most important thing will be working in trustworthy good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged round issues like that, but I am positive that your job is clearly recognized as a good game. Each boys and girls really feel the impression of just a second’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.

  22. Doctor Who news reviews info
    October 27, 2013

    Dreary Day…

    It was a dreary day here yesterday, so I just took to piddeling around online and realized…

  23. Buy Ciprofloxacin Online
    October 27, 2013

    Useful information for all…

    hello!,I like your writing so much! proportion we communicate extra approximately your post on AOL? I need a specialist in this house to resolve my problem. May be that is you! Having a look forward to see you….

  24. sbo
    October 27, 2013

    Very good site you have here but I was curious if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get feed-back from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Kudos!

  25. Highly recommended Site
    October 27, 2013

    Recommeneded website pages…

    Below are a few in the websites we advise for our prospects…

  26. sbobet
    October 27, 2013

    Reading by way of your nice content, will support me to do so often.

  27. Full Record
    October 27, 2013

    International Page views Machine overview…

    be sure to head to the net webpages we stick to, like this one particular special, due to the fact it represents our picks through the website…

  28. goldenline o gowork
    October 27, 2013

    Links…

    […]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]……

  29. Resources…

    take a look at under, are a few 100 % unrelated internet sites to ours, but, they are really most trustworthy resources that we use…

  30. m88
    October 27, 2013

    Wow! Thank you! I continuously needed to write on my website something like that. Can I take a fragment of your post to my website?

  31. keurig rivo r 500
    October 27, 2013

    Just Browsing…

    While I was browsing today I saw a excellent article about…

  32. m88
    October 27, 2013

    Hey, buddy, I’ve not discovered how to subscribe

  33. just click the next webpage
    October 27, 2013

    Fantastic online websites…

    we arrived throughout a awesome webpage that you simply may possibly savor. Require a glance if you need…

  34. Go Here
    October 27, 2013

    Cool webpages…

    we arrived throughout a awesome resource site you will probably appreciate. Consider a look if you’d like…

  35. sbobet
    October 27, 2013

    I would prefer to uslysht a bit far more on this subject

  36. Minerva
    October 27, 2013

    Effectively expressed of course. .|

  37. Minerva
    October 27, 2013

    I am really enjoying the theme/design of your web site. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues? A handful of my blog readers have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any suggestions to help fix this problem?|

  38. wood fired ovens Portugal
    October 27, 2013

    wood fired ovens Portugal…

    […]one of our visitors not too long ago suggested the following website[…]…

  39. Going in
    October 28, 2013

    Weblogs ou must be examining…

    Below is known as a Excellent Blog page You could possibly Find Remarkable that we Inspire You…

  40. Assistant
    October 28, 2013

    Hello! I could need sworn I’ve been to this site well before but after browsing through some of the post I noticed it’s new to me. Well, I am definitely happy I recently came across it and I will possibly be bookmarking and checking back frequently!

  41. nowadays we would constantly use eco-friendly stuffs like, eco friendly foods, shoes and bags~

  42. business online
    October 28, 2013

    Hello, Neat post. There is a problem together with your web site in internet explorer, would test this¡K IE nonetheless is the market chief and a good part of other folks will miss your great writing due to this problem.

  43. cheap domains
    October 28, 2013

    cheap domains…

    […]always a huge fan of linking to bloggers that I enjoy but don’t get a great deal of link enjoy from[…]…

  44. keep reading
    October 28, 2013

    Examine was exciting, stay in contact…

    be sure to head over to the sites we follow, together with this a particular, since it signifies our picks through the online…

  45. Fantastic sites…

    we came throughout a interesting resource site which you will probably take pleasure in. Require a glance if you would like…

  46. Learn More
    October 28, 2013

    Internet sites it is advisable to head over to…

    beneath you are going to discover the url to some online websites that we think you ought to go to…

  47. medical assistants
    October 28, 2013

    An fascinating dialogue is value comment. I feel that you should write extra on this matter, it won’t be a taboo topic however usually individuals are not sufficient to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers

  48. top locksmith
    October 28, 2013

    You should check this out…

    […] Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nevertheless really worth taking a look, whoa did one learn about Mid East has got more problerms as well […]……

  49. controlled goods
    October 28, 2013

    controlled goods…

    […]although internet sites we backlink to below are considerably not related to ours, we feel they’re in fact really worth a go by means of, so have a look[…]…

  50. Lead Grabber Pro 2.0
    October 28, 2013

    Lead Grabber Pro 2.0…

    […]one of our guests a short while ago encouraged the following website[…]…

Recent articles

Recent comments