An Emerald “Oz” Review
Details –
- Runtime: 130 minutes
- Rating: PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language
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Synopsis –
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.
Before entering the parking lots of the Walt Disney Studios (which was a great honor and experience for me), I was at a swim meet and time was running short and traffic on the way to the screening in Burbank was long. So without having the chance to polish myself, DE’s editor Jordie picked me up and set a course for Oz in a sense. We arrived a few minutes late and the feelings of anxiousness, soreness, and tiredness crept in…the whole day was a “grey” area, but all of that changed when I put on my 3D glasses and entered the theatre.
Watching “Oz The Great and Powerful” I felt that I was ‘blown’ away from this black and white reality into the awesome, contrasting world of Oz. With this said, the visuals and morals of the story are the main things that led me to realize how this movie rated in my book.
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Editor’s Note – As with every DisneyExaminer movie review, our goals are not to give away any of the details nor flat out tell you what you should do so far as watching or not watching the film, but at the very least we hope to get you thinking and critiquing the film yourself.
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So here’s what I loved.
1) I loved the visuals!
I think Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ nailed it when she said “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” and the reason being is due to the quality and definition of the visuals given in this film; it is astonishing to the point I felt that I myself was brought into the Land of Oz.
Time has brought more depth and realism to the screen-worlds of fantasy, don’t you think?
The CGI artists at the Disney Studios did a wonderful job with the animations in this project. The first thing you’ll notice right off the bat were that colors were just vivid and realism was brought out perfectly portraying earthly elements and not just random colors, (like purple plants). I’ve seen such movies like these before, but this one just stuck out.
2) I loved the morals of the story!
The dicitionary definition of ‘motivation’ is a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior. Referencing back to the trailer of this film, Oscar Diggs says that he not only wants to be a good man, but a great one. So this desire to become a great man abides in him throughout the entire story until he becomes the great wizard he was meant to be. This moral motivation really connects the whole film and gets your eyes clinging to the screen to the very end.
And you may ask, “How can Oscar Diggs, who has absolutely no real powers like a real wizard that the people of Oz were looking for, become the great and powerful Oz?” well, reader, again that is the core beauty of the whole film. To sum it up, all through the movie the obstacles Mr. Diggs (or even us in real life) faces will sum up to his realization that he was the great and powerful wizard/person after all because he had it inside him all along.
That’s a humbling fact for all of us to consider, isn’t it?
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The Final Verdict –
After watching the screening and after leaving the theatre, I had forgotten everything that had happened before watching the film. I was satisfied and happy walking out; having all my anxiety, soreness, and exhaustion melt away. So out of that ‘storm’ of a day, it blew me directly to the Walt Disney Studios where I strapped on my 3D glasses and watched how the great and powerful Wizard himself came to be.
As the vivid visuals and down-to-earth morals led me out of my grey reality after the swim meet, I hope that you too can experience the wonderful Land of Oz like never before. You’ll find color, goodness, and just a whole bunch of great Disney storytelling which in turn makes this a “great and powerful” movie for those who’ve seen Oz some 70 years ago and those who will be seeing it for the first time.
So follow the yellow brick road to your nearest theater today and tell the Wizard DisneyExaminer sent you!
All reviews are made by Lance Cruzado, Walt Disney Studios writer for DisneyExaminer.com. All reviews are personal opinions and may not reflect the attitudes of other writers for DisneyExaminer.com unless stated otherwise.
These films have been screened prior to the release date for review purposes and therefore are viewed without charge by The Walt Disney Studios.