Naturally when I heard Sam Raimi was filming a prequel in 3-D, I was highly skeptical. Engaging in prequels or sequels from any source is tricky business, as such decisions are almost always financially motivated. To be fair, a number of remakes over the past decade improved considerably from their immediate predecessors, including Batman Begins, Casino Royale, The Departed, King Kong, The Muppets, Ocean's 11, & Star Trek. But when the chosen target is one of the most beloved fictional stories of all time, the pressure escalates. Audiences don't want their childhood memories tarnished, nor do they need a product that simply regurgitates something they've already seen.
Much to my surprise, Oz the Great and Powerful eluded both scenarios. Borrowing charitably from Alice in Wonderland, Shrek, Avatar, and The Princess Bride among others, Raimi's Oz was a clever, vibrant, often very funny film that should please viewers of all ages. Judging from opening week box office totals, we can probably expect several follow-ups in the coming years. Though generally not an advocate of 3-D, its use in Oz was appropriate, doing nothing to diminish the brightness and providing ample opportunities to enhance the visuals. The iconic twister and viscous flying monkeys in particular, were given a boost in this format.
Though the film didn't reference Dorothy, Toto, or the Tin Man, and only briefly acknowledged the Scarecrow and Lion, the basic plot was familiar enough. The opening prologue established Kansas as the latest destination for traveling magician and hustler Oscar Diggs (James Franco), who bears the pseudonym "Oz." Though primarily concerned with his own bottom line, he feels destined for a life much greater than his own. After being booed off his stage for refusing to heal a young girl confined to a wheelchair, he is visited by a former flame who intends to marry another man. But before declaring his true feelings, chaos erupts. An enraged carnival strongman chases him through the fairgrounds until he escapes in a hot air balloon. Unfortunately, the balloon flies straight into a tornado, compelling Diggs to shout desperate promises of change should his life be spared from certain death. We know where he'll end up. Following his crash in the unfamiliar title land, he reluctantly attempts to fulfill the prophecy of the all powerful Wizard who will destroy the evil Witch and restore order to Oz.
Originally Robert Downey Jr. was approached for the leading role, an inspired choice who surely would've provided boundless charisma. When he backed out, producers reportedly contacted Johnny Depp, who passed. Although he played Harry Osborne in Raimi's Spiderman trilogy, Franco had to fight for the part, which he eventually grew into after a somewhat shaky start. But despite a game effort, I couldn't help thinking the film might've benefitted from an older, more dynamic performer. Far more successful were Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz as Glinda & Evanora, two witches with wildly divergent agendas. Williams was especially convincing, imbuing the sweetness and protective spirit we might expect from a much younger Glinda. Unfortunately, the third witch Theodora was played by Mila Kunis, who lacked the authority needed to portray the franchise's most prominent villain. Oddly enough, a role swap with Weisz likely would've solved this problem. The makeup artists certainly didn't do Kunis any favors by making her look like Jim Carrey's long lost sister from The Mask.
The logistics involved in recreating Oz must have been challenging given copyright restrictions. L. Frank Baum's original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, remains in the public domain. However, the classic 1939 film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland is owned by MGM studios, which handicapped all future interpretations of the story. This includes character likeness, certain iconic images and colors (like the look of The Emerald City), and of course the music, which explains why the new Oz lacked all those timeless songs we remember.
But against all odds Raimi and writers Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire overcame these obstacles, delivering a smooth ride that while heavy in nostalgia, also offered genuine surprises. These included a visit to the Dark Forrest and an extended finale that avoided predictability on numerous occasions. Initially, The Wizard's plan of attack seemed like a rehash of the ending to The Three Amigos. Talk about a goofy inspiration. And yet audiences were fooled, along with the films villains and some of its heroes too. Among these was veteran Bill Cobbs as Master Tinker, probably the only cast member old enough to have seen the original The Wizard of Oz in theaters.
The other refreshing element to this newest Oz was its unexpected sense of humor. In fact, this movie contained funnier material than the majority of so-called comedies over the last couple of years. I especially liked a visual gag involving the introduction of the munchkins. Another throwaway showed the famous directional arrows in Oz pointing to "Chinatown." I also very much enjoyed the antics of Finley the Monkey. As voiced by Zach Braff, Finley was sarcastic to a fault, and took offense to the appropriate assumption that he must love bananas simply because of his species. This playfulness meshed well with a story containing both cynicism and a lot of heart. Like the original film, Oz the Great and Powerful smartly connected characters from early scenes in Kansas with traveling companions down the line. And though the film was decidedly unambiguous in presenting reality as more than a dream, it remained committed to the vision of its director from start to finish.
In the end, despite a few misgivings, Oz still has a great deal to cherish.
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