Not in Kansas Anymore

I haven't written a movie review in some time (and haven't seen a movie on opening weekend either), so indulge me.

For many people (myself included), 1939's The Wizard of Oz is a staple of our childhood, an iconic fantasy film that has lasted well through the decades and sparked the imaginations of many a viewer. The Land of Oz is as mystifying and engaging as a fantasy land born of a sixteen-year-old's angst-ridden fever dream can be, and has inspired several sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and expanded universe materials. The latest, Oz the Great and Powerful is another one of these, and it's a pretty damn good one.

Focusing on the Wonderful Wizard makes a lot of sense. Despite being the title character of the classic film and the first of L. Frank Baum's novels, we know relatively little of him, but he leaves a huge impression. He's the original man behind the curtain, an enigmatic ruler whose power doesn't begin match his reputation. To whit, our story follows the origin of Oz himself, real name Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Digg (played by James Franco), a stage magician, con artist, and womanizer operating out of a traveling circus in black-and-white Kansas. A poorly-timed balloon ride and one tornado later, Oscar lands in the Merry Old Land of Oz faster than you (or any one else in the cast) can say "It's a twister! A twister!". Oscar is immediately heralded as the prophesied savior of the land, and being the opportunistic sod that he is, Oscar takes advantage of the situation and accepts his role, unaware that his welcomers may really be pulling the wool over his eyes.

The film is directed by Sam Raimi, a geek icon who A) has a lot of reverence for older material, and B) knows how to bring the fun to his flicks, making him pretty much perfect for this film. The peril is exciting, the action engaging, and the characters are pretty fun. Franco sells the more human aspects of Oscar, though it took a bit for me to buy into his showman persona, while his traveling companions are entertaining and complement Oscar well. What's more, the film has the right amount of reverence for it's predecessor, showing off iconic images and familiar moments, without being distracting about it. The visuals are stunning, with Oz being the same larger-than-life fantasy realm that it must have been for 1939 audiences. However, the best thing onscreen ends up being the film's leading ladies.

The three witches of Oz (which sort of confuses me, as the witches are based on directions on the compass so logically there should be four, but whatever, three's more Shakespearean or whatever), played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams, look goddamn spectacular onscreen, which is to say nothing of the characters they play. The witches are more nuanced than expected, particularly Kunis and Williams, and make for some of the most interesting (and gorgeous) parts of the movie.

If I had to criticize Oz, it's that it suffers from the same affliction many fantasy stories like it suffer: very simple characterization. The supporting cast is fun, but there's not much to them, and only two or three of them have an actual arc. Hell, I don't remember much from two of Oscar's companions except their job title and the actors who played them. Also, while I won't spoil the second act twist, the movie telegraphs pretty hard where certain characters will end up in the grand scheme of Oz iconography. And finally, Oscar's arc comes off as...well, utterly expected. It's the same lesson learned in Wizard (no, not that one), so I guess its got that going for it, but it's still fairly obvious.

In a time when revisionist fantasy is in, when everything magic on film has to be dark or subversive to relate to the young people, Oz comes off as almost a film unstuck from time; a flashy, optimistic piece that also serves as a loving tribute to one of the oldest and most well-recognized films in the genre. It's an absolute blast of a blockbluster, and comes highly recommended.

Besides, what else is playing right now?