Trailer Tuesday: Oz: The Great and Powerful

     The story of Dorothy, Toto, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion is one known to many. The Wizard of Oz has become a classic over the years, and has seen multiple re-releases. Although it's been an untouched universe until now, Walt Disney Pictures and Sam Raimi look to change that. I talk about the new trailer for Oz: The Great and Powerful, which is an origin story about the man himself, The Wizard of Oz, and how he came about, all after the jump.
     The trailer begins in black and white, exactly as the original film. James Franco plays Oz, who starts off as a magician and filmmaker, two roles that were rather intertwined in olden days. Of course this all occurred before his hot air balloon is swept away in a hurricane, which we all know is the mode of transport that brings you to the land of Oz. I think Franco could work in the role, and while I don't have any doubts about his performance, I think he will certainly have to fit the direction they take the film, whatever that may be.
     Oz: The Great and Powerful looks to be zany and gorgeous, hopefully keeping alive the same quirkiness as The Wizard of Oz. The trailer shows strange and mystical plants and creatures, and the magical land looks more alive and gorgeous than ever. Franco is greeted by Mila Kunis upon arrival to Oz, and I find this quite intriguing. It is now known that she has been cast in the role of the Wicked Wist of the West, and I think this could prove to be very interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if this is perhaps a story of their romance, and how they are somehow drawn apart overtime, and brought into their roles in the old film.
     The trailer certainly looks intriguing, as it's a stone that hasn't been turned up before in the realm of cinema, and while I am quite excited for the film, it isn't all yellow brick road in my mind. For starters, it is being produced by Disney. I do hope this doesn't keep the story from being truthful and at times dark. To tell a story that leads up to such a fantastic film, I think it must be a truly intriguing and well woven story, and I hope that it isn't sugarcoated for extremely young audiences. If it is extremely childish and shallow, it will certainly be a missed opportunity. 
     I'm also somewhat nervous of a modern rehash of the film. The old one had a certain charm in the way that it was done, and if the entire film is just CGI run amuck, I think it may lose some of that charm and whimsy. The flying monkeys at the end seem a little too departed from those we see in 1939's The Wizard of Oz, although I will withhold judgement, as it may have an explanation.
     I am extremely excited by the unique idea of this movie, and I hope to see a little more of it in the form of trailers and previews before it's cinematic release, hopefully that delve into the story more, the aspect of this film that I think could be hit or miss.