Get ready for Oz the musical!

WIth the success of Sam Raimi’s “Oz The Great and Powerful”, get ready for an upcoming 3D animated musical “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return”. Normally I’d be skeptical, but there’s serious talent behind this film. Oscar nominated musicians Bryan Adams and Toby Chu are writing the music. The voice cast will feature Lea Machele (“Glee”), Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer, James Belushi, Bernadette Peters, Martin Short, Hugh Dancy, Patrick Stewart, Oliver Platt and Brian Blessed.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

 

“Oz the Great and Powerful” review

“Jack the Giant Slayer” may have bombed, but Sam Raimi’s “Oz the Great and Powerful” is looking to become the first true blockbuster of the year. Is this return to Oz worth it? Or is this another Hollywood fairy tale gone wrong.

The Good

“Oz” was a frustrating film to watch. Because parts of this worked really well. Visually, the film works a lot better than I thought it would. The colors are very strong and it’s a joy to look at. Rachel Weisz also stands out among the three witches. Clearly she’s having a  lot of fun and it shows. She’s the most interesting of the three. And the third act of the film is really where the film picks up. It has a surprising amount of heart to it and, amid all the visual effects and technology on display, the story finally shines. There’s of course some nods to the universe. The munchkins are in. There’s a brief reference to Dorothy. For fans of the books or the 1939 film, there’s enough nods and winks to please you. The film starts in black and white before switching to color once Franco arrives in Oz. That switch never gets old and it really is breathtaking.

The bad 

I had four major problems with this film: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Zach Braff’s monkey character . Let me start with Williams and Kunis. Williams is one of the best actresses out there. Period. She’s proved that over and over again. Kunis is a rising star and has been able to break out of just comedies into more serious roles. It’s a shame then, that their characters are such one-note and bland bores. Kunis is an especially wasted opportunity. Her character’ arc could have been very tragic. Instead, frankly, I didn’t really care and by the end of it, I had more of a feeling that her arc was forced rather than seeing a natural progression. Neither of them did a terrible job, but neither did a really good job, either. The monkey. Now let me start by saying it’s not Jar Jar Binks bad. But it’s pretty annoying. And Franco. Possibly the most wildly uneven actor out there. I suppose his performance is a good representation of his career. His performance in this film is up and down. He struggles in the more heartfelt moments, which is unfortunate.

The Final Word

A visual feast, “Oz the Great and Powerful” isn’t anywhere near as magical as the 1939 “The Wizard of Oz”. But it is a fairly enjoyable romp and really picks up at the end. This may not be a new modern classic, but it’s well worth checking out.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

Teaser poster for “Oz The Great and Powerful”

Here is the teaser poster for “Oz The Great and Powerful”. It’s a beautiful poster, the only thing that worries me is it’s still not an image from the film.

The upcoming film from Sam Raimi (The original “Spider-Man” trilogy, “Drag Me To Hell”) will hit theaters next year. Here’s the official plot description: When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis) Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

The film stars Franco, Kunis, Weisz, Williams, Zach Braff and more.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

First look at James Franco in “Oz The Great and Powerful

Here’s a first glimpse at James Franco (“127 Hours”) in “Oz The Great and Powerful”.

According to comingsoon.net, the film explores the origin of  L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

The film also stars Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. Sam Raimi is directing. I’m looking forward to this film. It has a lot of potential and a great cast.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.