..Great, Now I have a Wicked Witch Fetish.
A Review of Oz, the Great and Powerful.
Over the last decade, films that have relied on nostalgia have had varying degrees of success.
As a child, surviving the Wicked Witch is a rite of passage.
The characters are as part of Americana as anything invented in the past century and a half of film.
Getting there was the trick, and thankfully, Raimi had a hell of cast to help him succeed.
Let us start with the Wicked Witch of the West.
Other than Darth Vader, there is no more iconic villain in film history.
Raimi figures out an origin for the Wicked Witch that makes her sympathetic and loathed at the same time.
If Weisz is sizzling, Mila Kunis is hotter than a simmering Scarecrow.
Francos performance is more subtle.
There are the Poppy Fields and the Winkies.
China Doll is a porcelain girl that Oz nurses back to health using glue.
Sometimes, the comedy is forced, but the young audience loved it and chuckled constantly at Finlays antics.
Anyone with a heart will want to click their heels together and return to the world Raimi has recreated.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5
