The Color of Film Collaborative

In lieu of my persistent and seemingly inconclusive determination to convey some aspect of this film through words I will have to recite a phrase that most writers with some grasping sense of dignity and pride would try to avoid saying: “Oz is a great fun family adventure.” This nationally fabricated statement used in amusement park advertisements nation wide, is fitting for the first and I am sure not last time.

Brainstorming the most fitting words to describe this years winner for the most aesthetically mind blowing feature length film shown on a cinema screen, Oz: The Great and Powerful, Directed by Sam Raimi and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, is nothing short of a very daunting task.

I consistently catch myself hearing and using the popular expression “words can not even begin to describe……..,”. However, in this particular instance, no amount of literary genius and imagination could create a perfectly acceptable sentence to portray the general feel of this film; it is simply unworldly.

This visually mesmerizing picture offers the “back story” of the unforgettable classic ” The Wizard of Oz” film directed by Victor Fleming, produced in 1939. This film offers details of the womanizing, con-wizard’s rise to power and the eventual donning of the elite title of “The Wizard of Oz.” Oz (James Franco), a struggling con man and a brutally obvious womanizer flees his position as a traveling circus magician to out run his certain demise from an angry, rage driven circus strong man. His escape vehicle - a hot air balloon. Once free from the strong mans rage, Oz’s troubles are far from over. Faced with an approaching tornado in a balloon the inevitable battle royal between his air balloon and an approaching tornado begins. With the scoreboard registering Tornado: 1, Oz: 0 the film’s protagonist loses control of the balloon and after it is all over, awakens in an unknown world comprised of green screen magic and the disposition of someone who is “tripping sack” (similar to what people felt whilst watching the Beatle’s “Yellow Submarine.”)

During my diligent research on this film I came across a number of individuals who disagreed with the films approach of presenting a children’s story in an unacceptable way. Some individuals chastised the film for its portrayal of winged baboonish creatures with large teeth arguing that the inclusion of these volatile creatures diminishes the films intent to cater to a younger audience. Further complaints about the film stem from old timers who never got the memo to let go of the past. There are a number of people who did not like the film because “it was an injustice to the original The Wizard of Oz production.

Whether you fall into the category of people who wouldn’t like this film because it is allegedly inappropriate for children and potentially too scary, or you are an individual who falls into the category of people who would simply hate the film due to your inability to let go of the past and the stories you were raised on, is hardly important. Oz: The Great and Powerful is a “fun family adventure” and is well worth the time. If your child is easily startled, the wicked witches flying baboon henchmen do not amount to the visual ferocity of what your child has been exposed to on television; Oz is a must see for all shapes and forms, ages and personalities. And remember, this film is not an attempt at remaking the 1939 “Wizard of Oz” but an enhancement to the Oz story.