BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Here’s what I think we all thought when the news came out: “A prequel to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ sounds like a bullshit idea. Who in their right mind would think this would work? The original movie is such a cinematic gem that to screw with its legacy is such a horrible idea that we might as well just colorize the first part of the original and toss in a few Lady Gaga tracks.”
So yeah, we all got over that right? We all collectively moved on and realized there were more important things to worry about (i.e. Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles). I’m probably just speaking for myself here. We should all trust Sam Raimi based on his past awesomeness. Then the cast of James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and Zach Braff isn’t anything to sleep on either. So really, the potential is there before you even start watching. The movie turns out to be pretty good. It’s not great, but it’s pretty okay. I don’t think I’ll ever go out of my way to watch it again, but I’m cool with watching and experiencing it the one time. The plot is interesting. James Franco plays Oscar Diggs, the dude who would become Oz. He starts off as a shifty carnival magician and after introducing his world in black and white square frame he finds himself in color full wide screen once a tornado tosses him into Oz. He gets there and meets the witches. Some are good, some are bad. He has to deal with that nonsense while getting his shit together so he can become the Oz we all know from the Dorothy and Toto movie. It was all a good time, but there were just aspects of it that didn’t work for me. The first thing that stands out is the casting. I like James Franco, but I just didn’t feel him in this role. I don’t want to say that his acting seems a little hokey, but there is something that’s just off and it’s mostly his presence. It threw me off so much that I’m going to have to really think about it and rewatch some of the movies and shows I’m a fan of that he’s in. I hope it was just a one-time thing, but I’m fearing it’ll ruin some perfectly good favorite movies. That’s how off James Franco felt in this movie. So much that I’m not only reconsidering if I’m even a fan of his anymore that I’m wondering if I was ever really a fan in the first place. Yikes! Another smaller issue was the tone. It seemed a little too dark at times to be a kids movie. I’m a dude in my late 20’s so I’m all for R-rated and edgy content, but it just felt out of place. The flying monkeys were WAY creepier. Maybe I’m being a nerd, but it seems like small kids would shit themselves in nightmare inducing fear at some of it. Again, maybe I’m just speaking for myself. This is officially the fourth best ‘Wizard of Oz’ movie behind 1.) ‘Wizard of Oz’ 2.) ‘Return to Oz’ 3.) ‘The Wiz’ and THEN 4.) ‘Oz The Great And Powerful’. Watch the first three before this. Maybe twice. C-
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