This probably was one of the more anticipated movies of 2013 because of
its concept and director involved but does it also deliver? I would
have to say no to that.
The movie is stuck somewhere between being a colorful fantasy movie for
kids and an adult fairytale. It never really manages to find a good
balance between its entertainment and its more dark and serious
aspects. Not just with its story but also with its characters. All of
the sidekicks are basically, childish, comical characters, of which
most are CG animated as well. The 'human' characters are still the
movie its main focus but it's just too bad that none of their story
arcs ever convinces well enough.
Why would Oz want to be king of Oz instead of trying to get back to the
real world? Why would Oz need a king in the first place? It's not like
the land is in war or chaos. And why would the witches suddenly try to
take control of Oz, once an adversary drops out of the air? They had
plenty of time and opportunity before that, you would think. It are
questions like this that the movie never answers. It doesn't handle its
story well- or convincing enough and it's focusing on the wrong things
at times.
It for instance also bothered me how this movie can basically more be
seen as a romantic movie, with an underwhelming love-triangle kind of
romance in it, as opposed to an entertaining, marveling, adventurous
epic, set in a strange world, filled with fantasy objects and
characters. Nothing against romance in movies of course (well, most of
the time it doesn't bother me) but it just feels odd that it's the
story its main focus, for most of the time. The main focus should have
been on its adventure and entertaining aspects but the movie instead
prefers to have other distractions to it, that divert from the movie
its entertainment. I mean, why bother to spend $200,000,000 on sets and
special effects, if you are not going to use it well and focus on other
things instead. Things that you basically could have done for free as
well!
OK, I'm of course somewhat exaggerating but point remains that the
movie isn't half as adventurous and entertaining you would expect and
hope for. It's the foremost reason why the movie feels like a slight
disappointment.
It really reminded me off Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland", not just
visually but also story-wise. It besides suffered from most of the same
problems; it doesn't really ever uses its fantasy aspects in a very
creative, impressive or entertaining way. The story and character
motivations are too simplistic and shallow. Both movies attempt to be
more serious and adult type of fairy tales but without ever pulling you
in to its fantasy world, or without making you feel involved with any
of the characters, that are in it. Both also really don't have a clear-
or strong enough main conflict in it. It lets stuff just happen and
expects its audience to simply go along with it. Well, I'm just not
falling for that!
Perhaps the movie would had been better and more involving to watch for
me, if it had a better main characters in it. I'm really not putting
any of the blame on James Franco for this but his character isn't
always written in the most sympathetic (after all, he's a con man) way
and as mentioned earlier, there isn't really a good enough character
motivation for his Oz character in this. The one moment he want to be
king, the other he tries to get out from under it. The one moment he
sympathizes with some of the movie its character, the other he is just
being selfish. The story keeps doing stuff like this with his
character, all throughout, making him just not the ultimate hero or
right type of protagonist for this type of movie. He should have been a
bigger anti-hero really. It would at least made him a more likable
character and his story arch probably a more involving and convincing
one as well.
But really, the same can be said for basically every character and
actor in this. It's hard to say whether or not most of them are miscast
in their roles, or if all the blame could be put on the movie its
writing instead. I'm still leaning more toward the latter, knowing how
great most of the actors in this normally are, in other movies.
A too shallow and not involving enough fantasy experience, that besides
is lacking some good enough entertainment in it.
