Oz: The Great and Powerful - Review

For about five or six years, I had been hearing rumors of a new film based on L. Frank Baum's legendary Oz series. The best known incarnation of the books is undoubtedly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, best remembered more for the classic 1939 MGM film adaptation, The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland. An endearing classic for the ages, the film's legendary status among film-goers and the fantasy genre remains unparalleled. So when the rumors came about that Oz would once again return to the big screen, many wondered exactly in what form. Some said it was a remake of the 1939 movie (to which many, myself included, knew would be a terrible idea), others said it was a spin-off, while some were sure it would be a film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Wicked. A Wicked adaptation seemed the most likely, as the play had a long and successful run thanks in part to an enthusiastic fan-base  It was eventually announced that the project would be a prequel distributed by Disney and directed by... Sam Raimi??? While it's true that Sam Raimi proved himself as a reliable director for big budget blockbusters after his work on the Spider-Man trilogy, he's still probably best known, among his main fan-base anyways (myself included), for his horror films like the Evil Dead trilogy. With all that said, is this return to Oz (hey, that's another Oz movie) worth the trip to the theater or will it leave you saying, "There's no place like home"?

The film opens with a travelling circus in 1905 Kansas where we are introduced to the small-time stage magician, Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco). Oz is hardly an ideal citizen... in fact he's a selfish, swindling, and womanizing con artist who could care less about anyone other than himself. His life suddenly takes a dramatic turn, when aboard a hot air balloon, he is whisked away by a tornado to the magical land of Oz. Soon after arriving, he meets Theodora the Good Witch (Mila Kunis), who tells him of an alleged prophecy that told of a man who would fall from the sky and rescue the citizens of Oz from the Wicked Witch... an evil being bent on controlling the land. Soon afterwords, he is introduced to another two witches, Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams) all whom relay the prophecy. When Oz discovers that killing the Wicked Witch would entail a mountain of gold plus the kingdom's throne, he immediately accepts the offer. Soon after beginning his mission, Oz comes to realize that not all is as seen, and that some of the witches may be scheming against them. With the kingdom's fate in his hands, Oz must learn to be a better man in order to save the land and become the great and powerful Wizard of Oz.

As I mentioned before, Sam Raimi seemed like an odd choice to direct a big budget family flick. The director of The Evil Dead... not exactly the usual choice for a whimsical fantasy flick (by Disney nonetheless). The more I thought about it though, the more I realized just how he might actually work. First off, what makes Raimi such an enjoyable filmmaker, is his child-like enthusiasm for the medium. On top of having a strong ability to direct action scenes as well as a good eye for visuals, he approaches every movie with passion and gusto (with the exception of Spider-Man 3, though that was mainly due to executive meddling), resulting in some very memorable works. Most of his trademarks are present here in Oz, from ghastly looking monsters, his crazy POV camera shots, and even a Bruce Campbell cameo (because movies today need more Bruce Campbell). Unfortunately, given the setting of the film, Raimi's Oldsmobile does not make an appearance. Even with the limits of a family flick, the film is so quintessentially Raimi, that the plot is basically Army of Darkness set in the land of Oz. Not joking, it features a man who falls from the sky out of his own world into an unfamiliar locale, is presumed to be a prophetic savior of sorts, accidentally creates/awakens a great evil, and ultimately ends up leading an the good citizens of Oz in a battle against the evil forces. The overall plot might ring a little TOO similar to Army of Darkness at times, but it didn't bother me too much because AoD is an awesome movie and this film features enough little twists and unique touches to keep it interesting. There are some memorable scenes, a few nice little shout outs to the classic 1939 movie, and like I said... a Bruce Campbell cameo. Honestly though, Bruce Campbell automatically makes any movie like 10 times more awesome. There aren't any huge surprises or shocks but overall the story works.

The acting is a bit of a mixed bag, but I can honestly say there were no truly awful performances. James Franco reunites with Raimi for the first time since Spidey 3 as the "Great and Powerful Oz." Franco is a good enough actor, though at times his age (or at least his youthful appearance) is a bit distracting. His acting is decent enough I suppose, but certainly nothing special. I remember hearing that Hugh Jackman and Christoph Waltz were both considered for the part, and they probably would been better cast. Rachel Weisz does a suitable job as Evanora the Witch, though I think her character was supposed to have a big surprise reveal that I saw coming as soon as she appeared. Mila Kunis is probably the most disappointing as she often comes off as a little too awkward and stale to make much of an impression. In her first couple of scenes, she just looks too uncomfortable and confused to convey her character adequately, and while she improves a bit later on in the flick, I won't deny that I expected more. Michelle Williams also appears as Glinda the Good Witch, and while this isn't one of the Oscar nominee's better roles, I have no real issues with her. Zach Braff has his moments voicing a "good" flying monkey named Finley while the young actress Joey King makes a strong impression voicing a girl made out of China glass (appropriately named China Girl). While this isn't exactly a mind-blowing cast, I doubt many will have any major problems with these actors.

A lot of the flick's hype was based on the re-appearance of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, one of cinema's all time greatest villains. Margaret Hamilton's performance in the 1939 film is so iconic that there was no chance in hell anyone was going to top it... or even equal it really. Because of this, it's not really fair to compare the two films. To reveal the actress who does eventually become the Wicked Witch would be a spoiler, but I will say that she does... okay. Maybe it was the raised expectations or the inevitable comparisons to the 1939 movie but while I won't say I was bummed about her role here, I will say I was hoping for a bit more. I guess in the long run, Sam Raimi seemed like the ideal director to resurrect this character. I mean, the guy has been responsible for some kick-ass witch characters in the past. Many of his previous villains have even taken inspiration from the Wicked Witch (the possessed girlfriend in Evil Dead II, the witch in Army of Darkness, the Gypsy in Drag Me to Hell, even the Green Goblin in the first Spider-Man). Maybe I just went in expecting too much... though I can say that it was cool to see the Wicked Witch return in all her cackling glory, and while she isn't as memorable as before, she still makes a suitable villain.

The final thing to mention is the film's visual aesthetic... and this is where the film truly succeeds. This version of Oz takes many cues and inspiration from the 1939 movie, but it's very much it's own creation as well. As expected, there's a lot of cgi, not all of which admittedly looks perfect, but it's nonetheless creative and often well-rendered. The cgi used to create the China Girl in particular is some of the better animation I've seen in recent memory. None of the effects come off as overbearing and most generally seemed to compliment the story as needed. The 3D effects are some of the best seen in some time. It's not Avatar but they do their job much better than many films. One nice touch was how, in a tribute to the original movie, the Kansas scenes are shown in black and white and in a 4:3 aspect ration... that was clever. The finale in particular is one of the most memorable segments. This is the point where Raimi goes gung-ho with his "Raimi-isms" and manages to show off some of his best talents and memorable images. There are also some solid make up effects and the well-made costumes you would expect to find in high concept fantasy movies like this. It's a little too early in the year to say for sure, but I would not be surprised to see this movie included on the Oscar ballot for best visual effects. We shall find that out next year. Overall, it's a very nice looking movie. If visuals are your thing, I can assume that you will leave happy.

I was worried that this movie would end up becoming like Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland... i.e. a nice looking but otherwise awful movie (btw, I REALLY hate that movie). Fortunately, that's not the case here. Oz is an imperfect but creatively realized and very entertaining family film and a worthy entry to the Oz films. It's nothing remarkable, but if you're looking for an enjoyable movie that both adults and kids will like, this is a good option. Check it out!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5!

Black Swan - Review

Darren Aronofsky, the filmmaker behind indie classics such as Pi, Requiem For A Dream, and The Wrestler brings us a new masterpiece in the form of Black Swan, a psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman.

Black Swan centers around Nina (Natalie Portman), a young ballerina in New York living with her psychotic and over-bearing ex-dancer mother. A perfectionist in every sense of the word, she dances for a local company preparing for their production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The ballet features one lead dancer in dual roles... one as the graceful and innocent White Swan and the other as the dark and sensual Black Swan. With her innocent demeanor, Nina embodies the White Swan perfectly while having difficulty adapting to the Black Swan. A new dancer to enter the studio, Lily (Mila Kunis) is the polar opposite as Nina. She's a free-spirited and impulsive individual with a passion for sex, drugs, and junk food... perfectly embodying the Black Swan. With increasing pressure from her instructor, mother, and a new rival, Nina slowly descends into madness and mutilation while attempting to find the Black Swan within.

I'm going to start by saying this... Natalie Portman is by far one of the best actresses working in the industry today. Few performers come even close to matching her talent, grace, and beauty. She's already shown her ability to perform in movies such as Garden State, V For Vendetta, and Brothers. With Black Swan, she has truly outdone herself. By far the best performance of her career, Portman goes to seriously dark territory showcasing an array of expressions and emotional instability. She is all but guaranteed to receive an Oscar nomination and stands a good chance at winning as well. I can't think of a female performance this year as incredible as Portman was in this.

Mulis Kunis plays Lily, a rival dancer and embodiment of the Black Swan. Kunis is probably best known for TV work, namely for roles in That 70s Show and as the voice of Meg on Family Guy. She's shown she has some good comic timing, but until now all of her non-comedic roles have ranged from "meh" to just plain bad (American Psycho II anyone???). Here, she does beging to show more promise as a dramatic performer, going into darker territory than she usually goes. She does a solid job with the role and is really showing her range as a performer. Obviously Portman outshines pretty much everyone in the movie, but Kunis does a bang-up job (no pun intended) with some very graphic scenes that would probably make many actors uncomfortable. I look forward to see what Kunis will bring in future roles.

The rest of the cast also sell their roles efficiently. Barbara Hershey plays Nina's mother Erica. Both her and Portman work off each other really well and create a great mother-daughter dynamic that fits the tone of the film quite well. A typical trap among actresses playing psychotic mother roles is a tendency to overact (Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest for instance). Hershey has some memorable dramatic scenes, but never goes over-the-top.

There's also a memorable performance from Vincent Cassel as Thomas, the perverted director and ballet instructor. I suppose its not the most original character to grace screen, but he embodies the creepy character quite well... maybe a little too well at times. Finally their Winona Ryder is a smaller role as Beth, a dancer who was recently fired from the studio for being "just past her prime." Normally, I'm not a huge fan of Ryder, she's had a few decent roles but in a lot of her movies, she fails to impress. For Black Swan, she sure makes an impact in her limited screen time. I don't want to spoil too much... lets just say you'll have a hard time getting her out of your head after you watch this.

Out of all the filmmakers who are either still alive or working in the industry today, Darren Aronofsky is probably my favorite. Taking inspiration from filmmakers like Kubrick, he specializes in movies depicting the human psyche and a descent into either madness or obsession. Whether it would about hallucinating dancers, former professional wrestler (The Wrestler), drug addicts (Requiem For A Dream), or psychotic mathematicians (Pi), his films are as emotionally impactful as they are visually stimulating. Psychotic characters are no stranger to film these days but nobody in the business today portrays them as well as Aronofsky.

Its a little premature to say Black Swan is his best movie yet (I'll need to watch it again to make that call), but its probably his most visually enticing. Featuring beautifully shot cinematography, great dance choreography, perfectly timed editing, and some of the best use of cgi I've seen in a long time. Every shot was perfectly positioned, every edit was cut as the precise frame, and every moment of cg was used effectively. Best of all, none of the visuals ever upstaged the actors or story. They found the perfect balance of acting, story, and visual so that nothing felt like too much or too little... it was just right.

While watching this movie, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the 1984 movie, Amadeus. The movie was a heavily dramatized depiction of the life and times of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, inspired and styled after the operas Mozart was famous for composing. Black Swan rides along a similar theme, only instead of an opera but more like a ballet (no duh!). The movie starts out graceful and slowly but builds to an epic and intense climax complete with the appropriate musical motifs. The score, composed by Clint Mansell features both original works and re-workings of Tchaikovsky's score. Its a flawlessly timed piece of screenwriting and music composition.

I couldn't think of anything I didn't enjoy in Black Swan. These are actually my favorite kinds of movies... intense psychological thrillers with creative imagery, great performances, beautiful scores, and fabulous directing. I'm just going to say this... its not for everyone. I've recommended Aronofsky's films before... only to have my friends return the movies to me saying that they only made it about 10 minutes into them. This, like most of Aronofsky's films, is one intense and brutal piece of cinema. Not for the faint of heart, it includes scenes of self-mutilation, nightmarish hallucinations, and really dark subject matter. Personally I love seeing thrillers taken into darker depths, but I know they're not for everybody.

Overall, Black Swan is the best film of the year! Beating out notable contenders like Inception or Toy Story 3, Black Swan delivered on everything that I could want out of a psychological thriller. Definitely gonna be buying this one on Blu Ray!

My Score: 5 out of 5!