Oz The Great and Powerful

Movie Synopsis

Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz The Great and Powerful directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot - fame and fortune are his for the taking- is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity - -and even a bit of wizardr - Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful wizard but into a better man as well. Oz The Great and Powerful is produced by Joe Roth, with a screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire (credit not final). Grant Curtis, Palak Patel, Philip Steuer and Josh Donen are serving as executive producers. Oz The Great and Powerful opens in Singapore theaters on March 7, 2013.

Thoughts

The Wizard of Oz was an enjoyable fantasy of a 12 year old getting transported into another universe where magic exists along with the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion and witches. I remember the dramatic (well, I was young) ending of the Green Witch (she was scary) when she melted. It was a story I can remember to this day, so imagine my surprise and delight when I found out that Disney is releasing Oz The Great and Powerful!

What makes it all exciting is the chance to know more about the character of the wizard, who was exposed to be a regular guy rather than a real wizard. In the “The Wizard of Oz”, the focus was more on Dorothy and her interaction in the alternate universe she found herself in. The conflict of the witches and the wizard were already well into its advanced stages (no real back-story of what really happened, it was more of a he-said-she-said situation that needed to be resolved since that universe was almost on the brink of destruction).

Oz The Great and Powerful goes back to before Dorothy’s arrival and shows some insight on the budding problems that led up to the conflict in The Wizard of Oz. It is amusing to see how the character of the wizard of Oz starts off as a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics and big dreams, to someone better. As I only watched The Wizard of Oz, the only impression I had of the wizard was that he was someone who was not that outstanding. So it would be interesting to find out more about this character and how the conflict came to be.

And after seeing the official trailer, the excitement is getting to me to want to watch this movie! Since the producer of this movie is also the same one who produced Alice in Wonderland, I am not only excited to catch this movie but also expect beautifully shot scenes and great graphics, along with a wonderful and interesting storyline (more back-story about the wizard)! Are you excited about this movie as I am? ^^

Catch Disney’s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL in Singapore cinemas this 7 March 2013, like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow @disneystudiosSG and subscribe to the Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!