Oz the Great and Powerful OR Oz the Good and Able

Oz the Great and Powerful
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz
New Release Review

Well it's been almost four weeks since these Movie Geeks have been to the movies. A travesty, I know. The lack of decent films being released on top of being a busy month, March has not been kind to Don't Sit Next To Us. But, don't fret! We are back! And here is your first new release review: Oz the Great and Powerful.

Oz takes place twenty years prior to the events that take place in The Wizard of Oz where we first meet Oscar "Oz" Diggs (Franco) who is working as a small-time traveling magician. Escaping a confrontation with the circus strongman, Oscar takes off in a hot air balloon and is sucked into a tornado that takes him to the Land of Oz. After his crash landing, Oscar meets a witch named Theodora (Kunis) who believes Oscar is the wizard prophesied to overthrow the Wicked Witch who killed her father, the king of Oz. The two begin the journey towards Emerald City after Oscar jumps at the notion that he will be the new king of Oz. They share a flirtatious moment and Theodora quickly falls for Oscar, hoping that she will be his queen.
Along the way, they encounter a flying monkey named Finley (Zach Braff) who Oscar saves from a lion. Finley pledges a life debt to Oscar and becomes a trusted companion for the wizard.

When he arrives at Emerald City, Oscar meets Evanora (Weisz), Theodora's sister, who tells him that the Wicked Witch resides in the Dark Forest and can be killed by destroying her wand. Oscar and Finley go on a mission to destroy the witch so that Oscar can become King of Oz. Instead of meeting the Wicked Witch, Oscar discovers that it is Glinda the Good Witch who he was sent to kill and that Evanora is the true Wicked Witch. Reluctantly, Oscar joins forces with Glinda to stop Evanora and reclaim Oz.

I was rather indifferent about seeing this film in theatre. The storyline and the graphics definitely had me intrigued, but not enough to run to the theatre during opening weekend to see it. I happened to see it randomly and was happy with the outcome. It was enjoyable. It was a decent story with top notch 3D graphics. If it weren't for those graphics, the film would not be as fun.

This is what a 3D film should be - it enhanced the overall look of the film and it added depth, literally and figuratively. It made the audience feel like they were in the film. There are a lot of films out there that simply add the 3D effect in order to earn more revenue but definitely don't need it. This was not one of those films.

The acting was okay. Not what I expected from this cast. Franco wasn't anything special as the title character. He provided a few laughs but that's about it. It seemed like he was going through the motions with this film. But it also looked like he wasn't given much in terms of character development and depth.

The three witches (Kunis, Weisz and Williams) were very bland. Which was extremely surprising to me as all three are talented (in different ways) actresses. When they were evil, they weren't evil enough. And the film incorporates one of the most iconic evil characters in film/literature history. It definitely didn't feel that way with this portrayal of the character. Basically, I was bored while watching these characters.

Braff as the flying monkey, Finley, was decent. However, he reminded me a lot of Billy Crystal. His voice, his comedic timing, all things that Crystal has done in the past (think Monsters Inc.). Though his character was welcomed as he provided the majority of the comedy in this film.

Final Verdict: See it. It's a decent family/adventure film. It's from Disney, so you know right off the bat that it will be good to see. However, this re-imagining of the classic story of Oz is not where it should be. It is nowhere near the masterpiece that Tim Burton created with 2010's Alice in Wonderland (check out our review here). But it is an acceptable March release. Perhaps Franco's other March release, Spring Breakers provides him with a character that is more in his league and he can do more with.

Rotten Tomatoes

Joss Whedon Confirmed for The Avengers 2

Via Cineplex

It has been confirmed that Joss Whedon will be back at the helm for The Avengers 2. Cineplex reports that Whedon will be writing and directing the sequel to the wildly popular franchise.

From the article...

Marvel's Avengers 2 has no release date as yet but, given the timing of the rest of their forthcoming slate, it will most likely be some time in 2015. But before you bemoan the wait, remember that you've got Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, to look forward to in the meantime.

And that is a lot of Avenger-y goodness between now and 2015!

Check out the full article here.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Up next for review: The Sorcerer's Apprentice starring Nicholas Cage, Jay Baruchel and Alfred Molina. Directed by John Turteltaub and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

I have to start by asking why did this movie get such a bad review? Most of the press that I saw after the opening weekend was very negative but since we don't listen to the press we saw it anyway. Imagine my surprise when I didn't hate it. In fact, it's a decent family action/adventure, with the emphasis on family. It's a kid's movie at heart, but an entertaining one.

Nicholas Cage stars as Balthazar, a former apprentice of Merlin, who believes that Dave (Jay Baruchel) is the next Prime Merlinian and as such is the only person who can destroy the evil sorceress Morgana. Cage is very entertaining as the mentor, despite being a toned-down version of his manic self, and convincing during the battle scenes. Baruchel, however, I find...flat. It's likely due to the overexposure of the superhero movies which rely on the hero-in-geek's clothing trope quite heavily. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is no exception and that isn't Baruchel's fault.I think Baruchel himself does an ok job in this movie. He's no superstar but he does manage to get the audience to laugh and that's really all we can ask for from his character.

The most interesting bit for me were the references within the movie to other movies because I found it odd. I won't spoil which movies The Sorcerer's Apprentice riffs on but some are more subtle than others so pay attention. I found them very obvious and at first I wasn't sure if it was a joke or if it was intentional. Why choose those movies to reference? They felt out of place to me. They also felt a little forced and shoe-horned into the movie's world, but the audience liked them and laughed when appropriate so I suppose that's a success (if you're looking for cheap laughs when the scene requires no laughter). I just didn't understand why the tribute to Disney's Fantasia wasn't enough and why the other two movies referenced were chosen.

Sorcerer's Apprentice offers tons of action, lots of fun, and a few laughs. I say see it. Sure it's formulaic and light but that is what it's supposed to be. It is Disney, after all.

rottentomatoes.com here

IMDB here