Movie Review: 'OZ: The Great And Powerful'

When Oscar Diggs, 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, Evanora and Glinda, 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.

Whenever I go to see a film at the cinema, or watch a film for the first time, that was based on a book, which I might have read, or if it's one of the many sequels, prequels, reboots or reimaginings that are getting churned out of Hollywood these days, I always put any preconceptions behind me and forget about any previous incarnations and just see the film as a standalone. It was the same when I went to see 'OZ: The Great And Powerful'. Yes, most people will remember fondly the 1939 Judy Garland musical, and will compare the two films, but at least these days, I think it's best not to judge a film in this way, especially when they are very different.

I fairly enjoyed it. Sam Raimi's interpretation of Oz, was more like Army Of Darkness with a hint of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, both films I've enjoyed (critics be damned!). From the opening scenes in the full frame black and white, which paralleled the opening for the 1939 film, to the full colour widescreen world of Oz, full of witches, munchkins, flying monkeys and of course the Emerald City, Raimi's Oz is definitely a brightly coloured fantasy that pays homage to the original, and if you're a fan of the original film you may be able to spot a few nods towards it too. If you're a fan of Sam Raimi's films, look out for the obligatory cameo from Bruce Campbell too!

I saw it spellbinding 3D, and I would definitely recommend splashing out and seeing it in that format. There are few movies that have done the 3D this well, and it definitely gives you the sense of actually being in Oz!

There are 15 books in the Oz series written L Frank Baum, so there should be plenty of material to mine for future films.

If you're looking for a fun, entertaining fantasy film, I'd recommend going to see this.

**** out of 5