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Blog by Don Kennedy

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Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful embellishes the beloved 1939 classic Wizard of Oz by giving the back story of that wish granter whom Dorothy followed the harrowing yellow brick road to find. Oscar Diggs (James Franco) gets his nickname Oz from the first letters of the first two of his nine given names. He’s an ethically challenged circus magician whose philandering makes escape from retribution necessary via his hot air balloon. However a clean getaway is sabotaged by one of those famous Kansas tornadoes that take one to an alternate universe while reversing optics from black and white to Technicolor. His dime store magic has locals in this new land believing that he is the long ago foretold Wizard saviour -especially Theodora (Mila Kunis) a fetching but naive witch in a sweeping, colour coordinated hat who is easily seduced by his smooth charm. Her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) shows a reluctant Oz all of the treasures that will be his as Wizard and suddenly he’s keen to take the job. His zeal is tempered however at the news that the evil witch Glinda (Michelle Williams) must be dispatched first. Turns out Glinda is a dead ringer for Annie, the only  woman back home who ever had any hope of reining in Oz and that influences him greatly into believing her story that Evenaora is really the nasty one. Theodora’s jealousy over Oz and Glinda getting close brings out her true nature that transforms her into the wicked witch of the west. This all leads to a spectacular clash that seems totally one sided as it pits the Emerald City’s vicious flying baboons and militaristic winkies against Glinda’s band of tinkers and munchkins, all of whom are sworn to do no harm. There’s no Tin Man here or any memorable songs but there is the hint of a scarecrow and we meet a new character, China Girl (Joey King). And there is definitely a lion which is our introduction to Finley (Zack Braff) the constant travelling companion for Oz. He’s a flying monkey but you can tell from his bell hop outfit he couldn’t be one of the lethal kind. Making a prequel to a movie still iconic seventy years later is a gamble and Oz the Great and Powerful turns out to be slightly less than powerful and just shy of great. So should you gamble on going to see it? Yes, be off to see this wizard because, because, becaaaause, it’s still wonderful.

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