Earlier this week, I took a trip to the Emerald City {AKA Seattle} to see a prescreening of Disney’s Oz The Great And Powerful in 3D. After years of anticipation followed by months of checking out every trailer, poster, and interactive feature for the new Wizard of Oz film, I was a bit worried it would be somewhat of a let-down after all the hype.
But, as it turns out, the power of Oz to enchant knows no bounds. I think every single person in the packed theater that night was equally transfixed as we were transported back to the land of Oz in a time before Dorothy and her cohorts, before houses flew through the air, and even before the Wizard himself made Oz his home.
I say transfixed because there’s really no other way to describe viewing the film for the first time in 3D. The colors and sounds paired with the magic of Oz are truly breathtaking with the latest and greatest film technology, and I simply couldn’t look away from everything that was happening on screen.
But, as much as I love new technology and amazing special effects, I was really happy that the new film pays homage to the Wizard of Oz of 1939 and preserves its character and feel from beginning to end. As someone who is a huge fan of all things Oz, I appreciated that this film felt as if it could have been before the 1939 version as well as feeling so new and current, something that I feel will make it relevant both to new Oz fans as well as old.
Speaking of new {AKA young} Oz fans, this new film is rated PG and is very family friendly, but there were some loud parts and some that were a bit scarier for younger children – especially in 3D and surround sound. There were kids as young as 5 in the theater with us that night, but even though my daughter doesn’t scare easily and is very much into “The Wizzer Da’voz” and anything over the rainbow, I think I’m going to wait until it comes out on video so we can watch it where we control the volume and the fast-forward options.
Of course no Oz movie would be complete without sidekicks, and Oz The Great And Powerful does not disappoint. I’m fully prepared for my daughter to fall in love with Oz’s new sidekicks as much as I did, especially since Finley the monkey and the China Doll are two of the most adorable CGI characters ever to be on film. Don’t believe me? Well then check out this 60 second clip of Zach Braff {Finley} and Joey King {China Doll} answering 10 questions about the movie.
You don’t have to live in the Emerald City to see Oz The Great And Powerful for yourself because this great film opens up nationwide TODAY. You can even take advantage of all the new technology that let us avoid the lines by checking showtimes and buying tickets ahead of time, which might be a good idea if you’re planning on seeing it opening weekend and I know a lot of Oz fans have been eagerly awaiting this release as much as I have.
A big thank you to Disney for inviting us to an advance screener of the film to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are 100% ours.