Despite being a different story all-together, this new visit to Oz felt a little like a visit to Johnny Depp’s Wonka factory as opposed to Gene Hackman’s in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…
Oz the Great, Powerful and visually impressive.
It wasn’t until the ride home from seeing Oz the Great and Powerful that Zoe (9) explained to me that the end of Oz the Great and Powerful was a good set up to the Wizard of Oz. Indeed – the movie is essentially a prequel to Dorothy’s later adventures in the land of Oz.
The thing is – it’s hard to see a movie as being a prequel when it has the benefit of decades of advanced film making techniques, in this case, massive helpings of computer-generated special effects and of course 3D.
Despite being a different story all-together, this visit to Oz felt a little like a visit to Johnny Depp’s Wonka factory as opposed to Gene Hackman’s in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing. Oz the Great and Powerful is a story that holds up well in its own right with some genuine laughs and the odd tug at the heartstrings such as the little porcelain girl who appears to be the sole survivor from her village after an attack from the flying monkeys (yes – the same ones).
Visually the film really grabs you from the outset with 3D black and white in narrow format on the screen which widens to fill the screen with colour on arrival in Oz. The 3D effects are impressive, though some will potentially upset younger viewers – particularly those who don’t like witches or flying monkeys that appear somewhat more like flying werewolves.
Overall, Oz the Great and Powerful is a fun film with a pretty good story and some classic Disney morals thrown in for good measure. You’ll want to take to the kids or borrow some kids especially if you have a soft spot for Oz, impressive 3D effects or classic happy ending Disney stories.
The ending leaves the door wide open for a remake of the classic Wizard of Oz of course.
By Lane Hannah, 4 March 2013
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