There are few films as sacred as ‘The Wizard of Oz’. So if you're going to tamper with that beloved classic, you'd better have something of a Wizard behind the camera. ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’, a prequel to the 1939 classic, has director Sam Raimi. Against all odds, the man behind the ‘Evil Dead’ and ‘Spider-man’ series delivers a film that has the brains, courage and, especially, heart to stand alongside its predecessor.
His comfort with big budgets and special effects comes in handy here as well. The script, based on the L. Frank Baum books, is basically an origin story for The Wizard.
In a playful opening sequence, set in 1905 Kansas and filmed (naturally) in black and white, we meet Oscar Diggs, a carnival magician and all around con man. James Franco inhabits the role almost solely based on his ability to be harmlessly sleazy.
Oscar, or ‘Oz’, as he's called, is something of a ladies man who runs afoul of the carnival's strongman, sending him on a madcap escape via a hot-air balloon. No sooner does he take off than he's swept up on a tornado that, you guessed it, lands him in the merry ol' land of Oz.
Once Oz lands, he immediately becomes the focus of a prophecy and a trio of witches (of varying degrees of goodness). Rachel Weisz and Mila Kuniz, as Evanora and Theadora respectfully, do justice to their roles, but Michelle Williams is absolutely (and appropriately) radiant as Glinda.
The film is largely about Oz's quest to defeat the wicked witch and restore peace to the land. Along the way, the smart script tips its hat well to the original without trampling on it; the black-and-white, the tornados, the yellow brick road, scarecrows, lions, and so on. It all adds an element of comfort to the story.
In the end, as you might imagine, the story wraps up nicely and actually makes you want to watch the original again, which might be the film's greatest feat. Yes, it's far too effects-heavy, but then so was the original, in its time, and yes, Mr. Franco is nearly impossible to take seriously. But this ‘Oz’, while not exactly powerful, is pretty great. It may not have much at stake, but it's got a ton of heart. “Oz, the Great and Powerful” is out on DVD/Blu-ray now.