Who is the great Wizard who helps Dorothy return to her home in Kansas along with giving The Scarecrow a brain, the Tin Woodman heart, and the Cowardly Lion, courage? Disney’s latest fantasy film Oz the Great and Powerful, seeks to answer that question in it’s latest prequel, opening in theaters today. Inspired both by L. Frank Baum’s novels and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the film depicts the journey of Oscar Diggs as he transforms himself into the great Wizard.
In both the film and the books, audiences know very little about the Wizard. Oz the Great and Powerful elevates this elusive character, setting him up for a significant role in what I imagine will result in future films. We first meet Oscar Diggs in Kansas. It’s 1905 and the sideshow magician with questionable ethics has worn out his stay due to his unscrupulous handling of his personal and professional relationships. Knowing that he must leave if he wants to live, he jumps into a hot air balloon which gets caught up in a tornado and propels him to the Land of Oz. I absolutely love this opening sequence because it is shot in black and white and reminds me of old time cinema. It also feels very reminiscent of the original film, despite the fact that this is largely the untold story of the Wizard.
Visually, the film is breathtaking with it’s glorious colors and rich detail. Director Sam Raimi’s interpretation of what the land of Oz should look like combines magic, mystery and whimsy to create a backdrop that only enhances the story of how the famed wizard achieves greatness. Almost immediately, Oscar encounters Theodora (Mila Kunis) the first of the 3 witches (I’ll leave it up to you to find out which witch is which!) who is convinced that he is the Great Wizard they have been waiting for. His task? To free the people of Oz from the oppressive reign of the wicked witch. Unconvinced that he is capable of such a feat, Oscar meets Evanora (Rachel Weisz) who sways him with wealth.
One of the most important details of Oscar’s journey occurs in the opening sequence of the film. Setting Oscar up as a magician early on makes for a more believable, authentic character who can use the arts of illusion and wizardry to help save the people of Oz. The journey towards defeating the wicked witch is filled with adventure, humor, and heart and there are moments of nostalgia that serve to unite the stories of this fantasy world.
In addition to delving into the character of Oscar, Raimi introduces two new characters, Finley, a loyal flying monkey who befriends the Wizard after he saves him from a lion, and China Girl, a real-life painted China Doll who has lost her family and puts her hope in Oscar to save Oz. These two CG characters do much to soften Oscar, and indirectly inspire him towards greatness.
Oz the Great and Powerful is in theaters today.
No compensation was received for this post. I attended a screening and a press junket which helped facilitate the writing of this post.
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This is fantastic!! I can’t wait to bring my son to see it tonight.