The film begins in black and white, featuring Oz, played by James Franco, as a cheesy- humored magician that can barely make a buck. Although this is a children’s film, there are some borderline inappropriate scenes of romanticism, particularly noticeable in the beginning and less prevalent throughout. Zach Braff made a short appearance as Frank, Oz’s underpaid but loyal assistant in the circus, and ended up playing the voice of Finley, the flying monkey who becomes Oz’s devoted servant in the Land of Oz
After causing a scene at a Kansas circus and making some enemies, Oz escapes on a hot air balloon and gets whirled into a tornado which places him in the Land of Oz. From black and white to a very vibrant and magical environment, Oz is laden with whimsical scenery, unusual animals, flowers that turn into birds, flying monkeys and witches. The film would definitely be more entertaining in 3D, for it would have a great appeal to the eye.
Mila Kunis plays the quite attractive, good witch Theodora, who first finds Oz in the woods and tells him of the prophecy she assumes he has come to fulfill. The prophecy said that a wondrous and powerful wizard was going to come to kill the Wicked Witch and save the good people of Oz. As Oz is a slightly egotistical and power-quenching magician who yearns for a greater purpose in life, he could hardly dare to tell the beautiful Theodora that he is not a real wizard with superior magical powers, so instead he decides to play the role. The people all over the country are alerted that Oz is there to fulfill the prophecy, and the waves of
people, excited that their turmoil is near an end, fill the streets to celebrate.
After befriending Oz and sharing a dance, Theodora quickly clings to Oz as a somewhat burdensome witch and declares that Oz and she belong together. They journey to the Emerald City and along the way meet Finley, a monkey with wings and an exceptional sense of humor. Theodora tells him that Oz is there to fulfill the prophecy and Finley practically throws himself at Oz and offers a lifetime of service.
At the Emerald City, Theodora’s eclectically dressed sister Evanora, played by Rachel Weisz, greets them. Evanora is an authoritative and
deceiving character who is skeptical of Oz’s greatness and ability to save their people. She tells Oz about the wicked witch that poisoned her and Theodora’s father. Instruction is given to Oz, and he leaves soon after to begin the journey to defeat this wicked witch.
Along the way to the Dark Forest, they meet China Girl. Her entire neighborhood and family, all made out of China, was destroyed recently by the Wicked Witch’s gruesome brigade of flying ravenous apes. China Girl is a sassy character that joins the crew on the hunt for the Wicked Witch.
When they arrive at the Dark Forest, the group plots to steal the Wicked Witch’s wand to kill her.
The accused witch is actually Glinda the Good, played by Michelle Williams. She informs them that Evanora is really the conniving Wicked Witch who has everyone fooled.
In the mean time, Theodora’s emotions go haywire at Oz’s departure. After looking into the crystal ball and seeing Oz with Glinda, she is filled with rage and fury and accuses him of “leaving” her. All the while, Evanora is behind all of it. While Evanora knows Theodora is vulnerable, she tricks her into eating an apple that withers away her heart and turns her into an evil witch.
Boy, Mila Kunis as an evil witch is nothing short of unattractive. The big nose, widened face, green skin and extremely arched eyebrows are enough to raise eyebrows at her sight. With her new transformation, the battle between good and evil is officially kicked off.
Overall, the cast is almost entirely enjoyable characters who worked greatly together in the movie. It was memorable, and the computer graphics were outstanding. There could have been some changes in the way that the beginning played out and perhaps Mila Kunis when she turned evil.
There was a humorous spin to it, and a moral story about believing in yourself. It is not what it was anticipated it to be, which might be due to the tacky humor, weird portrayals of evil witches and mediocre story line.
Rating: 3/5
