by Kiva Navarro
I recently watched Director Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful, and I must say that I was surprisingly pleased. I felt like a kid again as I watched the black and white screen turn into a colorful and magical land. The storyline was believable and gave a satisfying tribute to the great classic Wizard of Oz. There were just enough remnants of the old classic mixed in with the modern tale. I found myself routing for new characters China doll and Finley, just as I did The Scarecrow and The Cowardly Lion. When it comes to the great Oz himself, well James Franco is no Frank Morgan, but overall Franco gave a ruby red performance. Personally, Michelle Williams was the IT factor in this movie. If I did not know any better, I would say she is the one and only good witch of the North—Billie Burke who? There is one thing I would change about the movie. I would definitely put more magic! There was very little actual magic in the movie, but maybe that is the point that Disney was trying to make. Maybe the message is that we can make our own magic within ourselves by simply believing. Then again, this is a movie and audiences love to see the impossible become possible and that means magic on the big screen.
I took my son to see this movie and he loved it. He told me that the only thing missing was the ruby slippers. I had to point out that Dorothy was missing, too. I found James Franco to be a bit over the top but I guess that’s what his character was about. For me, the standout performances were by Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis. It was an inhteresting film but I found the talking china doll very annoying. I could have done without that one.