Film Review: Oz: The Great And Powerful 2D

Sam Raimi is a very special kind of film director. He's not prolific, but he's not a Terence Malick-type who usually makes one film every 10 years or so. Raimi's last film was the excellent pitch black comedy/bonkers horror film Drag Me To Hell, so following that 2009 film with a Disney PG film that acts as a prequel to the hugely influential and game-changing 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. For a director best known for his horror-comedy Evil Dead films and the 2-out-of-3-ain't-bad Spider-man trilogy, it seems strange that he'd take us back to Oz for his next adventure. However, Raimi is a self-professed Oz fan, slipping in references to it where he can in his films. Here, he just lets himself go and has the time of his life telling the story he's always wanted to tell.

This story focuses not on Dorothy Gale, but on the wonderful wiz himself, Oscar Diggs, played by a buoyant James Franco who reunites with Raimi after collaborating with him on 3 Spider-man films. Oscar is a conjuror, aiming to be a mixture of Thomas Edison and Harry Houdini, while using his "magic" to attract the interests of women. We see this from the get go, and, just as in The Wizard of Oz, visual hints to the mystical land of Oz are seen in the small Kansas carnival, beautifully crafted in black and white, recreating the magic of the original film changing from b&w to amazing technicolour. Whisked away in a hot air balloon through a tornado, Oscar ends up in Oz, a visual feast that, I can only imagine, would look as amazing in the third dimension as it does in the second. Top marks go to the effects department, who have created a beautiful backdrop to the story, fully realising the beauty of the '39 film while also expanding on it.

This whole film feels like an expansion of the '39 film, so it shouldn't be compared to as such, but more referenced with. It shows us the Oz from Baum's books, but through the eyes of one of the most playful and camera-happy directos around. Sam Raimi is famous for making the camera come to life, using it as an eye way before the recent trend of camcorder movies like the awful Paranormal Activity. Below is an example of Raimi doing this in Spider-man 2 (Around the 1:40 mark). Raimi's visual flare is a trademark of his films, and even in 2D you can see that this is a director using his resources to the fullest, having a whale of a time crafting visuals that ooze enjoyment.

Raimi's not the only one enjoying himself here though. Franco is chewing up his role, having fun with everything thrown at him, something which Franco doesn't always do. He's usually very laid back in his acting, even when it gets serious (see 127 Hours), but here it is obvious that he is loving every minute of it, embracing the whimsy that Oz has on offer. As does Mila Kunis, who plays the tragic Theodora. She plays her role really well, going from loved-up girly to, well you'll have to watch it to find out. Without spoiling anything, she demolishes the film with a scenery-chewing performance, stealing the spotlight from the reliable Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz. They play Glinda the Good Witch and Evanora, respectively, and do a great job, Rachel Weisz especially relishing the chance to be eeeeeeevil. However, Kunis' performance has rightfully stolen the show, as she plows through the film, loving every second of it. See the film just for her, she's brilliant.

The full film itself is typical Raimi, mixing humour and dread and fantasy with ease, and it all pays off in the end, leaving room for more while also being a satisfied close to the story that this film is telling. It's not an amazing film, though there isn't much wrong with it in terms of giving you what you want: a magical return to Oz worthy of the '39 film, with enough flair and originality to keep you satisfied without feeling out of place. A fine successor/predecessor to the classic. Seriously, see this film. It's very entertaining, I loved it, my little brother loved it, as did his friends, and I'm only disappointed at the fact that I didn't see it in 3D. 

Score: 8/10

Film Review: Welcome To The Punch

Making an original action film is a hard task. You've got to avoid cliché, silly one-liners and run-of-the-mill characters. You've also got to show a place that hasn't been seen before, but is still familiar enough to make the audience feel comfortable with what they're watching, never feeling out of place or alienated. Welcome To The Punch seems original yet familiar enough to breeze by rather enjoyably without ever really getting your blood pumping. Your bum is on the edge of your seat, but your shoulders are firmly resting on the back of the seat as you slouch comfortably while watching the film.

It's a strange one, this. There have been so many action films in recent years that it's hard not to copy something from another film, and yet Punch feels innovative and unique. Starting with a blinder of an intro, director Eran Creevy pulls no punches, establishing the two main characters, James McAvoy's Max Lewinsky and Mark Strong's Jacob Sternwood. Through some pretty cheesy, but I suppose necessary, dialogue, we establish that Lewinsky is a Dirty Harry-type cop, doing his own thing as long as it gets results. However, he fails to get results in the opening scene, instead being shot in the knee bu spared by Strong's Sternwood. Fast forward a few years and Lewinsky has a partner, as in police partner, not luvvy-duvvy partner, in Andrea Riseborough's Sarah. Together, McAvoy and Riseborough have a rapport that wouldn't be uncommon in an all-male cop film, and this is where Punch really seems to work as something familiar yet different. Sarah is a strong, well-written character, though verges sometimes on the nearly-caricature, woman-for-the-sake-of-it character, but is played rather well for Riseborough, whose star is getting brighter day by day (and she's a geordie, so gold star there). A huge surprise, for me at least, is how well McAvoy rises to the occasion of playing the unlikeable hero. It's hard to believe that this is the same man who played Mr Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, because he's so rough and angry, though fantastic. One minor gripe that I had wasn't any fault of the film, but it was due to a trailer for his upcoming film with Danny Boyle, Trance, being played before the film started, as he spoke with a scottish accent there, but a cockney one in Punch which, after hearing his scots voice minutes before, never really seemed convincing even though he's done a cockney accent countless times before.

One major plus point from this film is Mark Strong. He's the go-to actor if you have a gruff, one-dimensional villain who can flesh out the part to more than just words on a page. Here, Eran Creevy creates the Mark Strong role to end all Mark Strong roles. He seems to be your typical gangster who just wants to live the quiet life, but add the extra dimension of his son being involved in family business, and paying the ultimate price because of it, Strong's Sternwood seems to be more sympathetic a character than McAvoy's Lewinsky, even though Sternwood is the villain of the piece for 2/3 of the film.

The plot isn't hugely original: villain returns to town to tackle something personal, hero cop sees it as a chance to get retribution, something bigger than them sees them unite to fight the corruption scheme. Actually, that is quite original, but not unique enough to differentiate itself from any other British actioners of recent years. Corruption in office seems to be very common in films these days, reflecting the disdain shown towards those in positions of power, I can only assume. Punch makes sure you know what's going on, but for some reason, and this could be the film's (I don't want to say downfall because I enjoyed this film but I can't think of any other word at the moment) downfall, as the action scenes are so inventive that characterisation is left by the wayside in favour of cool cinema, which I favour...this time. The script, as mentioned earlier, has some necessarily corny dialogue, for example when introducing members of government, but in terms of plot development, it works efficiently, making sure you know what's going on, just about, while keeping things interesting with some cracking action scenes.

Those are what define an action film, so don't be too miffed if there are cheesy lines here and there, the action makes up for it, and then some. One scene involving a hotel room shootout is brilliantly directed and choreographed, making it feel like a cut away scene from a video game, then throwing you back into the mix. Think the Mass Effect games, but in a London hotel room in the present day. I loved the way Creevy directs an action scene, mixing bird's eye views and close-ups, creating a real sense of danger and awareness. The late Tony Scott would be proud of some of the action scene, especially the climactic shootout in a shipping container yard. His brother, Ridley Scott, executive-produced the film after reading Creevy's script and seeing his first film, Shifty. This influence really shows in the end product, with a slick, gorgeous-looking version of London that seems more in place in an American action film than a British affair. In this way, Punch is unlike any other British action film that has come before it, and if it does well at the box office, here's hoping that there will be more films like this and less trying to imitate Guy Ritchie, no offence to Mr. Ritchie of course, but he started an avalanche of British gaaaaangster films that finally looks like it's stopping.

A minor niggle is the manner in which the film ends. It feels just a bit underwhelming compared to how the film builds up to it, but in its defence, I suppose it allows elaboration in a sequel that I'd very much like to see. Creevy's not just telling a single narrative, but gives the potential for a whole series of stories to take place in the 'Punch universe'.

Overall, don't go into the film expecting to see a striped leopard, because you'll be disappointed. The familiarity of the film is inevitably its weakness, however, the action scenes are really where Punch really knocks you out, with great choreography and brilliant direction. Nothing special, but well worth a watch.

Score: 7.5/10