Oz the Great and Powerful Review

Before entering the theater to see 'Oz the Great and Powerful' I came upon a note stuck to the doors of the place. The note informed the audience of a curious fact. The first twenty minutes of 'Oz' are presented without colour and in a different screen format. To film fans the allusion is obvious, and quite charming, but apparently cinemas feel the need warn casual filmgoers of this dramatic deviation.

''Only black-and-white in the first act of the movie? That's unheard of!'' The theater owners might have thought. Well actually, there was a little film which employed this trick way back in 1939, it was called 'The Wizard of Oz'. 'Oz the Great and Powerful' serves as a prequel to that film. It chronicles the arrival of the charming con artist Oscar Diggs to the magical Land of Oz. Upon his arrival Theodora the Witch of the West mistakes him for the Wizard whose coming was foretold in a prophecy.

Like Neo, Anakin, Aragorn and Harry before him, Oscar goes forth to fulfill his destiny. There's just one problem, Oscar's a fake. He's a cheap magician who delights in fooling those gullible enough to believe him. During his quest he falls in with a comical flying monkey, a girl made of china and two more witches. He joyfully poses as The Wizard until he hears what is expected of him. According to the prophecy he's destined to kill the Wicked Witch. By now Oscar realizes he's in over his head. His first instinct is to escape Oz, but thanks to his interactions with its inhabitants he finds he might just have it in him to be The Wizard.

'Oz the Great and Powerful' is directed by Sam Raimi. Who's better known for his nasty horror films and the first trilogy of 'Spider-Man' movies. His franticly comedic style is a nice fit for the Land of Oz. One of the most interesting things is the colourful way the world is created for this film. Some of it is deliciously old-fashioned. I believe I even spotted a matte painting of the Emerald City in there! The visuals aren't as messy as in Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland'. The film itself is also far more involving and fun than Burton's efforts.

The story itself is promising but half way through it becomes deriative. Why does every fantasy movie require a great final battle? It might have something to do with 'The Lord of the Rings'? Those movies built up to a spectular confrontation with an ultimate evil. However, such a conflict feels awkward in a good-natured world like Oz. I had the same problem with 'Alice in Wonderland', which also jammed a war into its final act. It's a shame they took this well-worn path yet again for 'Oz the Great and Powerful'.

Fortunately the film features a good protagonist. James Franco shines brightly as Oscar, an endearing schmuck of a man. Here, the actor displays a previously undiscovered sense of wit and slimy charm. Mila Kunis is less convincing as Theodora, a good witch with a broken heart. Kunis looks like she belongs on a catwalk instead of in Oz. Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams are fine as the Wicked Witch and the Good Witch, respectively.  

'Oz the Great and Powerful' is perfect for those looking for a fun bit of fantasy entertainment. It's better than recent re-imaginings like 'Snow White and the Huntsman', 'Hansel & Gretel' and 'Alice in Wonderland'. It also makes good use of the otherwise loathsome 3D format. Sam Raimi has delivered an adequate fantasy adventure with some nice nods to the classic 'Wizard of Oz'.  

Frankenweenie Review

After 'Vincent', 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Corpse Bride' Tim Burton returns to stop-motion. Based on a live-action short film he directed in 1984, 'Frankenweenie' tells the story of young Victor who succeeds at reviving his dead dog Sparky. The movie is shot in black and white and contains many nods to old-school horror flicks from Universal and Hammer.

Burton's unique visual style has always been perfect for stop-motion animation. His production 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is still one of best films of that kind. The surreal look of Burton's vision combined with the somewhat creepy feel of stop-motion work wonders together. And with its bizarre subject matter 'Frankenweenie' walks the line between lightweight horror and comedy.

Unlike his previous live-action movies, 'Alice In Wonderland' and 'Dark Shadows', 'Frankenweenie' feels fresh. For the first time since 'Sleepy Hollow' Burton seems to be in his element. He and his animators are having fun playing with Victor's world, which appears to be a cross between 1950's suburbia and a misty Dutch town from the late 1800's.

'Frankenweenie' is visually appealing. The sets are beautifully designed and some characters look genuinely creepy. The animation itself is noticeably crude, especially when compared to this year's 'ParaNorman' which was made in a similar fashion. The crudeness appears to be on purpose. There's little polish here, when a cat moves its head you can see its fur move as the animator make his frame per frame adjustments. This gives life to the characters and lends a great deal of authenticity to the film.

Danny Elfman is back with his unique brand of fairy tale music. Drawing heavily from earlier collaborations with Tim Burton, more than once Elfman's score reminded me of 'Edward Scissorhands'. His dark but playful music amplifies the film's gloomy atmosphere. 

The story deals with one of life's more serious and final problems: death. It's a heavy subject to handle, especially in a medium that will appeal to a lot of children. Fortunately, Burton keeps the film from getting lost in dark territory. Unlike Mary Shelley's original novel 'Frankenstein' we're not faced with the existential dilemma that arises when you bring life to what was once dead.

'Frankenweenie' is sure to be a treat for all fans of classic horror. Whether you're a Universal Horror enthusiast or a Hammer Horror lover you'll eat this up. This film's science teacher looks and sounds like Vincent Price, Christopher Lee makes an appearence in his most famous role and the finale takes place in a burning windmill. Sparky's love interest even sports the iconic hair cut from James Whale's 'The Bride of Frankenstein'. 

'Frankenweenie' feels like its Tim Burton's comeback. He's returned from the commercial direction his later movies have followed. His recent career appeared to be marred by a profound lack of interest. 'Dark Shadows' featured hints of Burton's former glory but 'Frankenweenie' sees him reaching back and recapturing that unique and entertaining spirit. 

Dark Shadows Review

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have a long history together. They struck gold over twenty years ago with 'Edward Scissorhands' and never really left each other's side from then on. The collaboration has given us some neat little films. Burton's weird sensibilities seem to be a perfect inspiration for Depp's unique persona. However, in the last few years they seem to have lost their edge, with 'Alice in Wonderland' marking a definite low.

'Dark Shadows' fares a little better. It's a far cry from their best works: 'Edward Scissorhands', 'Ed Wood' and 'Sleepy Hollow', but it is a very enjoyable film aside from some storytelling problems. Based upon a soap opera from the late sixties, 'Dark Shadows' revolves around a Nosferatu-like vampire named Barnabas Collins. After being locked up in a coffin for 200 years by a vengeful witch he seeks to reclaim his family's former fortune and respect. 

By the time he returns it is 1972, and the Collins family, along with their gloomy-looking castle, has fallen into disrepair. When he arrives he is greeted by a bunch of eccentrics, a collection of troubled indivuals who are remarkably at home in a Tim Burton film. The cast is pitch-perfect, with Michelle Pfeiffer delivering a sympathetic and eye-catching performance as the family's matriarch Elizabeth. 

Despite struggling to fit in with the times and killing a few people to satiate his lust for blood, Barnabas succeeds in revamping the family's fishing business. All is well, until he discovers that the rival company is led by Angelique; the immortal witch who turned him into a vampire because he turned her down. The interaction between Eva Green's witch and Depp's Barnabas are some of the most ejoyable bits from the film.

Unfortunately, 'Dark Shadows' is a bit too heavy on Depp. The film would've profited from a fairer balance between him and the other family members. Barnabas is an interesting character, but not interesting enough to be the focus of the entire film. It got so bad that in some of his scenes I was wondering what the other characters were doing.

The irksome lack of information on any of the other Collinses comes back to bite the movie in its ass during the third act. Here, elements are introduced which feel like they've been added at the last possible second. The children, played by Chloë Moretz and Gulliver McGrath, have powers which, if revealed earlier, would've made for a far more interesting story. Now, this leads to a deus ex machina if there ever was one. 

What is fun about this movie is it's depiction of 1972. It's not a realistic depiction by any degree but rather a tonic of all popular culture from the early seventies. The film is soaked in images and sounds which we inherently connect with this time period. And, typically for Burton, the retro-style clashes quite bizarrely, and often comically, with the gothic nature of Barnabas. It's a nice trick and it works well. 

Unfortunately, 'Dark Shadows' is not a return to form for Depp or Burton. The two seem more in love with each other than with the story they're trying to tell. The originality of Depp's weird characters is wearing thin but Burton regains some of his former flair by setting this film in the 'real' world. The only collaborator who excels is Danny Elfman, who creates a driving and memorable musical score which manages not be drowned out by the songs of the period. 

So if you're in for some typical Tim Burton weirdness, I can recommend this movie. However if you're allergic for the inherent quirkiness of his work you should pass on this one. For me the bizarre comedy sprinkled with some light horror worked quite well. Though, it's a shame Burton didn't dare to let the film breathe.