‘Oz’ is a pleasant prequel to Dorothy

By AMANDA MOTLEY

“Oz the Great and Powerful” shined this past weekend at the box office. The movie is a prequel to the 1939 American classic, “The Wizard of Oz,” which was adapted from L. Frank Baum’s famous children’s book.

The movie focused on Oscar Diggs, a con artist magician played by James Franco. He works for the circus, and on the side he lures women into his bedroom with music boxes. However, he has a soft spot for those in need.

Promising to become a better man, Diggs finds himself transported to the colorful Land of Oz. He is greeted by a young witch named Theodora, played by Mila Kunis, who believes Diggs is the fulfillment of a prophecy about saving Oz.
Theodora is as naïve as they come, and Kunis portrayed this part well. She brings him to the Emerald City where Evanora, a truly evil witch played by Rachel Weisz, tasks Diggs with a quest to destroy Glinda the Good, played by Michelle Williams. He gladly goes on the quest in return for gold, proving that he is not much of a changed man.

“I really enjoyed how the movie used [symbols] to tie together his life in Kansas to his life in Oz,” said junior business major Natalie Tomlinson. “It really helped us see Oscar’s journey to becoming the Wizard unfold.”

The movie keeps viewers on their toes with different plot twists. Diggs’ demeanor was also a point of interest for audience members.

“I almost really wanted to walk out at one point because I thought this man cannot be this selfish,” said junior art major Lindsay Coffman.

A variety of audiences can enjoy this film with its magical CGI and its light humor. People from age nine to 90 can take something from the movie. It promotes the idea that people can do anything if they just persevere, and that anyone can change from bad to good. It makes for a positive modern spin on what happened before Dorothy came to Oz.