Film review: Oz The Great And Powerful

Have you read L. Frank Baum’s fantasy novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?

 

 

 

 

I have. It was one of my staple childhood reads.

 

 

 

Have you seen the 1935 film, The Wizard of Oz (starring Judy Garland)?

 

 

 

 

I have. Many times. As a child and also as an adult.

 

 

 

 

Have you seen the (prequel to The Wizard of Oz) stage musical Wicked?

 

 

 

 

I have. Once, as an adult.

 

 

 

 

And now I can add to this list that I have seen Oz The Great And Powerful (OTGAP).

 

The thing with OTGAP is, you have to approach it in the right way. If you bring the mindset of a mid-life crisis-impending adult, this film will disappoint.

 

If, however, you approach OTGAP with the wide-eyed wonder of a younger child having a special visit to the cinema, you will be amazed and entranced.

 

And this dilemma exposes the first of two structural faults with the film.

It
Doesn’t
Know
Who
Its
Audience
Is.

OTGAP is rated a PG and the British Board of Film Classification defines a PG as:

PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for younger children. A PG film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. Parents should consider whether the content might upset younger or more sensitive children.

But wait.

OTGAP is a children-friendly film?

Erm, no.

OTGAP is two hours and ten minutes long.

Prefix a 2h 10m film with 20 minutes of commercials, and previews, and you are, effectively, asking a small child to remain seated and stay quiet for two and a half hours.

And that’s not going to happen, obv.

OTGAP could be edited down to a much tighter, less baggy production. It could be transformed into a film that would engage the younger audience in a more focussed way.

Of course, to achieve this, one would have to edit out all of those tiresome scenes that were solely included to add 3D goodness. You know, those scenes that bring nothing of any value to the story.

But harsh editing, like this, would be a small price to pay for gaining a sharper, tighter, leaner, better defined film, a film that would engage, better, with the bulk of its target audience.

Because no matter what film classification it has, OTGAP is aimed at the younger viewer, though the award of the PG certificate will inevitably lead to confusion (in terms of intended audience, this film is a 12A).

Adults will go to see it as adults. They won’t pause, before entering the cinema, to flick their mental selves back to their childhood.

They won’t return to where they were in life, when they first read L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz.

They won’t even attempt to revisit the childlike gaze through which they first viewed The Wizard Of Oz.

And this failure will lead to their disappointment, because OTGAP is not aimed at the jaded, ‘had a shitty day at the office’ viewer.

If you bring your adult selves to this film, your adult selves will be unimpressed.

Sorry, but if you don’t like this film, it’s your fault.

Yep, blame yourself for not getting in to the right mental place. Don’t blame the film for not delivering.

Because it does deliver.

OTGAP is, for the younger viewer at least, a stunning (if excessively long and, in places, tiresomely baggy) visual feast.

The film follows a slightly related path that is a happy span over all three of the popular incarnations of the story; the original fantasy novel, the Wizard Of Oz film, and the Wicked stage play.

The film delivers good and evil, fairies and witches, triumph over depression (and let’s not forget that the novel was written during a very depressed time in the US) and a happy ending.

OTGAP has characters that the younger viewer engage with. Emotional investment is a short step behind.

My 10-year old self forgave this film for being too long. My 10-year old self ignored the unnecessary 3D sequences. My 10-year old self loved this film from start to finish.

I don’t think any of my younger than 10-year old selves would have felt the same way, had I brought them along.

When I saw OTGAP, the cinema was full of viewers aged between 8-15 (and their parents/guardians, obv).

The audience laughed, and gasped, and cried, and cheered (yes, cheered) in the appropriate places.

OTGAP is a childrens film.

It is such a shame the PG certification doesn’t make this plain.

Oz The Great And Powerful
6/10 (marked down for being too long)