Oz the Great and Powerful

I got to see a movie! Yay! I went with my sister to see Oz the Great and Powerful on Wednesday. This was a film I was hoping I would get to see mainly because when I was little I watched The Wizard of Oz over and over and over. Then again I tended to watch things a lot if I really liked them.

The movie is really neat and pays homage to the author L. Frank Baum and the 1939 MGM film. Of course because certain elements of the 1939 film are copyright protected things in this film had to be changed. The movie however is based on the original works with some minor glints of the 1939 film. The most obvious things that I noticed were a lack of ruby slippers (copyright 1939 film) and that the wicked witch has flying baboons instead of monkeys. The best thing is that the film starts off in a sepia tone and then transitions to color just like The Wizard of Oz. Very cool.

The acting was wonderful, although all the close-ups of James Franco's face made me twitch along with his eyebrows. Come to think of it there were a lot of tight face shots of everyone and I couldn't quite figure out why but I am not a director so I'm sure that there was a point I don't know. I will tell you that I did not see the film in 3D.

I was able to make a distinction between what Disney was offering and not keep comparing to a film I loved when I was little. They each stand on their own. This movie is a beautiful trip to Oz that is searching for a leader. The original Wizard is dead, having been given poison. There's a prophecy that another Wizard will come and restore order. The first thing that has to be figure out is which of the three witches to believe and Oscar (Oz) finds out the hard way which is the one to trust. What follows is a story of learning to believe in yourself and use the skills you have to do what you can to make a difference. Aided in his self discovery Oz finds true friends with Finley (a flying monkey in a bell-boy suit) that offers his allegiance.

I would highly go see this movie. If you can stand to see it in 3D go for it, but if not it doesn't lose anything watching it in a standard film format. It will be interesting to see if they make another one and carry forward with the story. Just go in with an open mind and forget everything you know and enjoy the film for what it is.

Here's the link for the film on IMDB: Oz the Great and Powerful.