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    Down the yellow brick road

    Visually stunning Oz the Great and Powerful is an enchanting, if imperfect, return to Oz

    Alex Bentley
    Mar 8, 2013 | 12:00 am
    Visually stunning Oz the Great and Powerful is an enchanting, if imperfect, return to Oz
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    When it comes to classic films, almost nothing beats The Wizard of Oz. It’s a near-perfect blend of comedy, drama and music that appeals to children and adults alike. Naturally, many others have tried to capitalize on its popularity with projects related to L. Frank Baum’s source material without explicitly remaking that particular film.

    Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful is the latest and most high-profile member of those ranks, having cost a reported $325 million to make and market around the world. It’s also the first not to focus on Dorothy, but rather Oz (James Franco), a Kansas magician with a coincidental name whose story emulates Dorothy’s in many ways.

    Like Dorothy, he gets transported to Oz via a tornado and is greeted as a conquering hero. However, he’s welcomed by Theodora (Mila Kunis), who mistakes him for a wizard who was prophesied to bring peace to their world. Thus starts a journey that will have him meet up with two other witches, flying monkeys both good and evil, a fragile girl made of china, munchkins and the multiple other denizens of Oz.

    One of the most fun things about the film is the way it pays homage to elements of The Wizard of Oz without ever crossing legal copyright lines. References to Dorothy’s gingham dress, the Gale family, Dorothy’s companions on her trip down the yellow brick road and the harmful property water has on a certain witch abound — and never fail to delight.

    It’s plain to see where the money went on this film, and it’s worth every penny.

    The film is rated PG, but as directed by Sam Raimi, it often embraces the darker aspects of the story. Raimi seems to thrill in being able to use 3D for certain shots, taking every opportunity to throw one scary creature or another at the camera. Disney is surely hoping that Oz the Great and Powerful will appeal as widely as the original film does, but the scarier parts of the film might impede that dream.

    That said, the visuals are worth the price of admission alone. When the film transitions from black-and-white to color — another homage that seems to cut a bit too close to the original — the imagery is stunning. There are some movies that don’t use their budgets wisely, but it’s plain to see where the money went on this film, and it’s worth every penny.

    The story is essentially a prequel to Dorothy’s trip to Oz, so where the film is heading is pretty clear right from the start. Most of the subplots and obstacles that come Oz’s way do a great job of advancing the story, but a few seem to be there merely to take up space, making the film about 15 minutes longer than it really needs to be.

    For the most part, Franco is a good fit as Oz. The magician-turned-possible wizard is a scoundrel who deep down has a good heart, and the eccentric Franco ably embodies both sides of that personality.

    The three women who play witches — Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams — are also cast well, although when an extra dimension is added to Kunis’ role, she’s not quite up to the task.

    Oz the Great and Powerful is not a perfect movie, but as a companion piece to a truly classic film, it’s far from blasphemous. It enchants in many ways, and even when it fails to impress, it’s quickly rescued by its superior elements.

    Mila Kunis and James Franco in Oz the Great and Powerful.

    Oz the Great and Powerful
      
    Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
    Mila Kunis and James Franco in Oz the Great and Powerful.
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    Movie Review

    Tom Cruise goes for broke in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

    Alex Bentley
    May 22, 2025 | 3:52 pm
    Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
    Photo courtesy of
    Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

    Over the course of 30 years and eight films, the Mission: Impossible film series has proven to be the most reliable of any action movie franchise. Not all of them are equally good, but with Tom Cruise (who will be surprising fans at Dallas screenings) in the lead as Ethan Hunt, they can be counted on for at least a couple of mind-blowing stunt sequences per film, enough to keep fans clamoring for more.

    Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning has the feel of being the last film in the series, and not just because the 62-year-old Cruise is getting up there in age. Following up closely on the events of 2023’s Dead Reckoning Part One (Part Two changed to The Final Reckoning for unknown reasons), the film has Hunt trying to stop an A.I. villain known as The Entity from taking over the world’s collective stash of nuclear weapons.

    To do so, Hunt and his cobbled-together team - Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and Paris (Pom Klementieff) - must hopscotch around the world, tracking villain Gabriel (Esai Morales) and trying to figure out a way to get The Entity’s source code, which is located on a sunken Russian submarine. Oh, and they also have to evade capture by a disgruntled U.S. government, led by now-President Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett).

    Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie and co-written by Erik Jendresen, the film might just be the most convoluted one in the series so far. The filmmakers layer on tons of exposition, with lots of flashbacks to previous events in the series to explicate the events of the present, as well as providing unexpected connections to previous films. The plan for stopping The Entity and the references to the past are so dense that the first half of the film is relatively boring.

    Things pick up in the final 90 minutes of the three-hour film, mostly because that’s when the majority of the action takes place. More than other entries in the series, the film considers the geopolitical implications of Hunt’s actions, and he has to negotiate with a variety of high-powered people to do what he deems best. While his efforts are somewhat preposterous, even by the standards of the series, they lead to a bunch of fun sequences that provide levity among the world-changing drama.

    Ultimately, what makes the film succeed are its action scenes. Cruise has done stunts on planes/helicopters before in the series, but what he does during a biplane sequence toward the end of the film is almost beyond belief. Yes, he’s attached to the plane with harnesses that are digitally erased, but he’s still doing it hundreds of feet in the air at great bodily risk considering how often he gets tossed around. There has been other spectacular stunt work in the series, but this one deserves to be near the top of the list.

    The flashbacks to scenes from throughout the series underscore just how much Cruise has changed in the past 30 years, but also make it amazing that he’s still willing to sacrifice his body as much as does in this film. No other actor goes as far as he does to entertain the masses, and the events of the story even give him opportunities to show off his dramatic acting skills.

    The supporting cast is more packed than usual, and all of them enhance the film. In addition to Hunt’s team, the President has a group of advisers that includes actors like Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Nick Offerman, and Janet McTeer. Other recognizable faces like Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Trammell Tillman (Severance), and Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) show up for impactful roles.

    Whether or not this is the last film in the current incarnation of the series, The Final Reckoning has a lot to offer for longtime fans, as well as some fresh great action that remains some of the best Hollywood has to offer. The story may be completely baffling, but with Cruise and other appealing actors leading the way, there’s more than enough great entertainment to go around.

    ---

    Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning opens in theaters on May 23.

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