Oz: The Great and Powerful

Credit: Walt Disney Pictures

I was skeptical when I heard Sam Raimi was going to make a family movie since he’s known in horror movie circles for creating The Evil Dead movies, and also in comic book circles for launching the modern super hero movies with his Spider-Man. However my favorite Raimi movie is his dark comedy, comic book take-off called Dark Man. This movie was actually a surprising blend of those movies, which makes for a great prequel to The Wizard of Oz. (In fact, I even like this one better.)

Not only did Sam Raimi surprise me, so did the movie’s star, James Franco. I’ll admit I haven’t seen him in many roles but I thought he was passable as “Harry” in the Spider-Man series and wasn’t all that great in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Yet after seeing him as “Oz”, I think it’s just that he’s not suited for dramatic roles. This is the type of role where he excels, since he’s over the top and supremely hammy; it looks like he had a blast in this movie. Michelle Williams is also a stand out, as she has a sweet, innocent, and bubble-gum quality. Zack Braff also surprised me with his dual role as Oz’s servant in both human form and flying monkey form. Knowing that the actors appear to be having fun is infectious and lends a genuine quality to the movie.

Not only was the acting fun to watch, but there were many Sam Raimi trademarks that I noticed. I said before I was skeptical of him making a family movie but he managed to put his own touches on it flawlessly. Bruce Campbell making a cameo is an obvious one to mention first, as Raimi’s hero from Army of Darkness appears as an Emerald City guard. He typically gets to be in a scene involving physical comedy, which comes from a midget trumpeter named N’Yuk. If you know a thing or two about Raimi, he loves The Three Stooges, so the name “N’Yuk” is a tribute to that famous trio. Another Raimi trademark would be the point of view shot of picket fence posts flying at Oz while he’s in the hot air balloon. Lastly, is a scene near the end when a witch appears, and it’s very reminiscent of when Ash battled a witch in a pit in Army of Darkness.

The only instance when the movie lost me was a final witches dual at the movie’s climax. It felt like the movie was already nearing a conclusion, then they wedged in a typical “fight scene” with witches whizzing around and shooting lightning from their fingers. It seemed a little too much like Harry Potter or even Return of the Jedi, when it wasn’t really necessary other than just because a final battle is deemed necessary. It wasn’t too much to ruin it though. I honestly enjoyed this movie, from its humor to its light-hearted moments. Thumbs up to you, Sam Raimi.