The first poster for Sam Raimi’s film “Oz: The Great and Powerful” hit the Internet showing a large hot air balloon as it heads towards the Emerald City. The film is a prequel to the classic film “Wizard of Oz” and tells the story of how the Great Wizard himself in the Emerald City as the all-knowing, all-powerful Great Wizard.
“Oz: The Great and Powerful”
Raimi hasn’t made a movie since his amazing, blockbuster horror movie, “Drag Me to Hell” back in 2009. However, when he returns on March 8, 2013, it will be a movie worth watching. . While calling “Oz: The Great and Powerful” a prequel makes it seem like another in a long line of remakes, the truth is that Raimi’s movie fleshes out a unique character from the original “Wizard of Oz.”
In the original movie, the Wizard of Oz was kidnapped by a circus magician from Kansas and into the Land of Oz. Raimi casts James Franco as a young wizard and adds Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz as the three witches in the story. The story is a coming-of-age story about a magician as he finds his true calling.
“The Wizard of Oz”
The original “Wizard of Oz” is such an adventure story, and Dorothy is an impulsive a young girl, he was returned to the Land of Oz by a storm. When a witch overruns her home, the evil witch’s sister plots her revenge against the girl and her dog. Dorothy travels to the Emerald City to help the Wizard return home, as she meets Timid Lion, Brainless Cucumber and the tin Man without any heart, even the countenance filled in their caves absent.
The movie deviates slightly from the book making the whole story questionable. Was it true or did Dorothea only dream? With characters looking into the past like what happened in the Land of Oz, it’s just as contrived to believe it’s a dream but it loses the fun. The book and the new movie look to dispel that myth and prove that it’s all true.
Other Versions
This is not the first time Oz has been established. In 1978, a very scary version of the story “The Wiz” was made, starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow. Later, in 1985, a sequel was made called “Return to Oz”, partly based on several books by the author L. Frank Baum. The original movie was scary, but this sequel was a direct horror movie.
Even more popular is the stage musical “Wicked” based on the novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” The story follows Elphaba, the Wicked Witch from the “Wizard of Oz,” and recounts the events of her original story.
