Oz the Great and Powerful
2013 · Directed by Sam Raimi
Original language: English
- fantasy
- adventure
- family
The story
Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he's the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil.
What it’s like
Opens in a boxy, sepia-toned black-and-white frame, then bursts into lush, saturated Technicolor the moment the story reaches the Land of Oz, with candy-bright poppies, glossy emerald cities, and gilded palaces shot in a widened frame. The camera swoops and cranes through sweeping digital landscapes, and the sets have a storybook handmade sheen. Danny Elfman's bright, circus-tinged score winks and swells, with plenty of playful orchestral flourishes. The vibe is whimsical and buoyant, a warm, old-fashioned fairy-tale adventure with a sly streak of showmanship. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with a light romantic thread and a con man slowly becoming someone worth trusting. Intensity is mild: some eerie flying monkeys, a few jump scares, a fierce witch confrontation, and a bit of peril, but no gore and little real menace. It suits family movie nights, a comfort watch on a grey afternoon, or anyone who wants a gentle, colorful spectacle with an uplifting heart.
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