Oz is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz movie from 1939 and, like that well known classic it uses the exact same trick of starting in black and white and then, upon entering Oz, changing to glorious colour.And glorious it is. With quite possibly some of the most beautiful imagery seen on film since the best scenes of Life Of Pi, Sam Raimi (yes, he of "Evil Dead" fame) transports us to the very different, and magical, world of Oz in which a sideshow magician is hailed as the prophesied wizard that will defeat the wicked witch and rule in peace as the king of Oz.
Of course it isn't the peace that attracts our hero but the copious amounts of treasure and he soon, somewhat reluctantly, heads off to find the wicked witch and kill her. But there's a catch, well several.
First, the wicked witch has a secret of her own, and second, only a real wizard can defeat her magic...and wannabe wizard Oscar Diggs is anything but a real wizard.
The film is a little slow paced to begin with, it takes a while to get going, but the key to a good film is whether at the end of it you've enjoyed the experience, and Oz is certainly a good, if perhaps overly cute, film.
This is not the film for fans of action or science fiction, but it is the film for lovers of fantasy worlds, of redemption, of stunning visual imagery or who just want a feel good family friendly trip to the cinema.
The story is good, although most adults will guess a lot of the films key plot twists in advance, but then that isn't actually a bad thing because it gives plenty of time to focus on the land of Oz itself and it is this that really steals the show with quite possibly the most beautiful surroundings yet seen on film.
The entrance into Oz is a sight to behold, particularly the beautiful red tree which isn't as it appears, and yes you will get to see munchkins and yes even the wicked green witch herself. In fact you get to find out just why the original films wicked green witch got to be so wicked...and green in a role played well by Family Guy's Mila Kunis (and yes, it is strange hearing Meg Griffins voice coming from such an attractive visage).
Surprisingly Oz is one of those films that, despite a running time of more than two hours, doesn't actually feel like it overstays its welcome, unlike some other films of similar length, and this is due in no small part to the beauty of its environment and the admittedly predictable but enjoyable story which culminates in a riveting half hour finale that more than makes up for its slow start.
Overall a fun family film that has enough going for it to keep the majority of viewers interested throughout.
