British Actress Blog

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Score: 8/10

Director: Sam Raimi

Stars: Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff.

Oz the Great

and Powerful

Synopsis: A frustrated circus magician from Kansas is transported to the magical land of Oz. There he will have to fulfill a prophecy to become the king and free the land from the Wicked Witches using his great, but fake powers.

Review: ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ ( James Franco ) is a sorry excuse for a magician. He tries to make money by performing his tricks on stage, but he is not making enough money to support himself. No one really wants to see him onstage. After failing for so long in his life, he has become very cynical and cold hearted. One day his love interest Annie ( Michelle Williams ) comes to him and says that another man has asked her for her hand in marriage. Oz wishes her well and confesses to her that he does not want a regular and forgettable life. He wants greatness even though he is a failure. Because of this, he does not feel successful enough to give her the life that she deserves. As Oz tells Annie how he feels, one of his disgruntled business partners tries to physically assault him. Oz escapes in a hot air balloon and is swept up into a vortex that brings him to another world.

Evanora

Rachel Weisz

Rachel Weisz always plays a great deceiver very well. Here her character Evanora is not as clever as she thinks she is. She is a deceiving lair just like in the films Complete Unknown (2016), Confidence (2003), and I Want You (1998). Mila Kunis is just strange as the wicked witch. The original classic witch was way better. Her voice just seems weird coming out of that green mask of hers. James Franco brings his charisma and charm to this movie. He does very well. Its so much better to see him as ‘Family Friendly’ James Franco rather than the psychotic and juvenile frat boy version of himself in the film This is the End (2013) with Emma Watson and a bunch of other male actors in dire need of a mental health examination. There is a lot of over acting in this film but maybe it is fitting. The celebrities treat this movie more like a theater play rather than a motion picture film. For a Disney movie that is mainly for kids, this is not a bad thing.

Oz

James Franco

Yet another James Franco movie that focuses on the concept of virtue. A girl in the real world who is in a wheelchair who believes in the magic of James Franco’s character ‘Oz’. She asks him to heal so that she can walk again. When Oz is being a no good dirty liar, he can do nothing for her but leave her in her condition. In the fantasy world of Oz, he tries to be good natured and heals the living doll whose legs are broken by using glue to mend her together. Only when Oz is trying to be as good natured as possible does he push the narrative forward.

Interesting

Film

The cinematography is just fine for what it is but you can surely tell that the celebrities are standing right in front of a green screen. there is way too much CGI all over the place. The backgrounds are not there at all. Sometimes the backgrounds look extremely ‘flat’. The set dressing is alright when it is not fake CGI. The wardrobe is perfect for the for this film. Honestly the third act of this film had me laughing. It seems like James Franco really enjoyed his role in this movie. He really went all out as the character during the ending half in the film. The movie is clever. The film has a different take on the classic story in an interesting way. I really found this movie to be very entertaining. The movie does have some unanswered questions but for a kids film, its not to be taken so seriously. Its a good watch.

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