But what I saw left me no less than shocked. And after walking out 2 hours later, I had made up my mind.
It was horrible. The representation of the story was skewed, the plot was off, and I was left with with more than a faint feeling of confusion. Despite the plethora of adequate actors and actresses, the cast failed to portray a prequel worthy of the bestselling novel.
But maybe I’m being harsh. I admit, if anything, the graphics in and of themselves make a good reason to see the film. Comparable to the famed box office hit Avatar, the color and dimension were phenomenal. The creations of Oz were revolutionary and definitely put the cinematography on another level.
Perhaps that’s why I was so disappointed with the plot. Compared to the graphics there was a tangible void. While the actors portrayed their characters well, the actual makeup of the story had holes, and there were more than a few times I had to do some serious backtracking to figure out what was going on.
By the end, I was disappointed by the lack of character progression and how certain scenes that had seemed significant, were actually not at all. Though Oz had mostly stayed true to the original storyline, there were certain elements that could not be lined up with first. Big elements. Elements that completely dictate the original.
So while I’m still left with a sense of wonder towards the incredible art of the film, I can’t help but be puzzled with everything else.
All in all, while Oz wasn’t that best movie I’ve ever seen, I can easily say that the graphics and cinematography of the film were amazing, and definitely worth their while. If the makers of Oz did one thing right, it was the investment they made into the creation of the world of Oz. While the storytelling and the plot wasn’t what I would consider exemplary, my $7 wasn’t a complete waste.
By Ashleigh Atasoy
