Movie Review: *****Oz The Great and Powerful (2013)

I love L Frank Baum, and this movie captured his spirit.  It is his spirit and wit that made the Oz series so popular.
Instead of starting with a little girl from Kansas, this movie starts with a con-man magician from Kansas.  He escapes an upset husband of a  woman he had been pursuing.  The pursuer happens to be the strong-man of the carnival.  He escapes in a balloon, which happens to go into a tornado, and he is whisked off to Oz.
The director, like in the ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, has used black and white until this point, and then we enter a colorful world.  This world is  controlled by three governing witches, one good, one bad and one we are not so sure.  However it takes some time to determine which, witch, is which.  (I like that.)

The theme of the show is repeated several times by the wizard, “You can do anything if you believe.”  However the wizard doesn’t really believe this of himself.  It isn’t until faced with an impossible crisis that he actually begins to believe in himself.  When he releases his own skills, slight of hand, creativity, use of the moving camera, etc that he truly begins to become a wizard, although a humbug wizard at that.

This movie has fantastic characters.  James Franco portrays Oz, and Michelle Williams Glinda.  We also meet Theodora (Mila Kunis), who is not yet the evil which she eventually becomes. Evanora (Rachel Weisz) is already evil and deceitful.  Oz surrounds himself with the "China Girl" (Joey King) and Finley (Zach Braff), a flying monkey.  We also meet the munchkins, who can't fight, but are very good singers.  The Tinkers, who can build anything. 

I recommend this movie highly.  I think it is fun.  Sheri and Caleb both had issues with special effects surrounding the China Girl.  I didn't have any problems.  I thought this character was one of the most intriguing, delicate but tough at the same time.  Many characters have dual roles as in "Wonderful Wizard of Oz".

Movie Review: ****^Spider Man III

In this were are introduced to the Sand Man, who actually shot Uncle Ben.  Spider Man also faces his dark side, as he comes in contact with an alien symbiotic organism. Peter is then faced with a darker alter ego.  He becomes mean to those around him, but finally beats the symbiode off, and the symbiode attaches to Peter's rival photographer at the Bugle, making Carnage who becomes Spider Man's other rival.  They gang up on him.  In the mean time Harry has become the Green Goblin, and had run ins with Spider Man.  However the Green Goblin comes to Spidey's rescue in the end.  I really dislike the reporters when Spider Man is getting beat up.  They detract from the action rather than adding to it.
Tony loves Spider Man and talking about the symbiode that crashed from outer space and made Black Spider Man and Carnage. 

Movie Reviews:*****Spider-Man II

***** Spider Man II: This movie takes up where the last left off.  Harry has a sense of vengeance  against Spider Man.  This effects all he does, and his relationship with Peter Parker.  The relationship between Mary (whose hair has toned down some) and Peter continues to bloom, even through a wedding to The Bugle editor's (J Jonah Jameson's) son and Mary Jane.  She shows up at Peter's in her wedding dress, after fleeing the ceremony,  how romantic.  In the meantime Peter makes a friend with Dr. Octavius, whose experiment with nuclear fusion goes awry, turning him into a super villain with eight limbs, four metallic.  He makes a worthy bad guy as the robotics takes over his conscience.  Of course Mary Jane is put in harms way, and she discovers Peter is Spider Man.

Movie Reviews: *****Spider-Man

 

*****Spider Man: This movie introduced us to Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, who had flaming red hair in the first movie of the trilogy.  We also see Mary Jane's family, and next door, Peter Parker living with his Aunt and Uncle.  Peter the nerd, becomes Spider Man, after a trip to a science laboratory and a spider bite.  He then faces the Green Goblin, (Willem Dafoe) who is Harry's (James Franco) father.  Harry is his best friend.  The action is great, as is the budding relationship between Mary Jane and Peter Parker.  We also see the emotions of the change, and accepting the responsibility of being a super hero.  Finally Peter realizes those he loves are in harms way, and this affects all he does.  Harry, dates Mary Jane, and Spider Man and the Green Goblin have a war, which results in the Goblin's death.  My only complaint, we want to know how Peter came to live with his aunt and uncle.