Oz, the Great & Powerful
I saw this movie on Friday night...... I wanted to like it, I really did, but I ended up feeling rather negative about it overall.....
To me this is a standard example of a movie with a good concept, but poor execution.
My main problem with the movie is with the characters. Everything from the writing of the characters, to the actors' performances. I've seen and liked many of these actors in other roles, so I'm sure the problem doesn't originate with them, but none of the characters were very likable or had any real depth to them at all. Of them all, only the China girl, and to a point, Theodora managed to make me feel for them.
Sure, Oz is supposed to be an asshole, and I've liked plenty of asshole characters....but Franco plays Oz in such an artificial way to me, with no layers to his performance. There's barely a moment in the movie for me that makes it believable how he rose to the occasion or went through any evolution. I think it's this moment in particular when I realized how much of a problem I had with the characters: Oz telling Theodora that she could return when she's good again....just....ouch. That did NOT work at all.
I think the biggest missed opportunity in this movie was Theodora herself - how she changes, and how much impact that should have had on Oz. But everything happens in a way that feels empty. The characters (and actors) feel like they're just going through a script. It all feels very artificial.
Michelle Williams as Glinda just seemed kind of like she was sleep walking. Rachel Weisz gave it her best as Evanora, but the character is just "there" like the rest. Mila Kunis as Theodora managed to make feel for her, even though I think the character, her transformation and why it occurred was incredibly short changed.
I think a better script, with a focus on more character depth would have improved this movie a lot for me, but maybe Disney just didn't want to go there. As it is, it looks pretty, but mostly makes me lament what could have been.
To me this is a standard example of a movie with a good concept, but poor execution.
My main problem with the movie is with the characters. Everything from the writing of the characters, to the actors' performances. I've seen and liked many of these actors in other roles, so I'm sure the problem doesn't originate with them, but none of the characters were very likable or had any real depth to them at all. Of them all, only the China girl, and to a point, Theodora managed to make me feel for them.
Sure, Oz is supposed to be an asshole, and I've liked plenty of asshole characters....but Franco plays Oz in such an artificial way to me, with no layers to his performance. There's barely a moment in the movie for me that makes it believable how he rose to the occasion or went through any evolution. I think it's this moment in particular when I realized how much of a problem I had with the characters: Oz telling Theodora that she could return when she's good again....just....ouch. That did NOT work at all.
I think the biggest missed opportunity in this movie was Theodora herself - how she changes, and how much impact that should have had on Oz. But everything happens in a way that feels empty. The characters (and actors) feel like they're just going through a script. It all feels very artificial.
Michelle Williams as Glinda just seemed kind of like she was sleep walking. Rachel Weisz gave it her best as Evanora, but the character is just "there" like the rest. Mila Kunis as Theodora managed to make feel for her, even though I think the character, her transformation and why it occurred was incredibly short changed.
I think a better script, with a focus on more character depth would have improved this movie a lot for me, but maybe Disney just didn't want to go there. As it is, it looks pretty, but mostly makes me lament what could have been.