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Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Oz is bursting with great visuals and powerful special effects so stunning that they are beautiful works of art by themselves. The film is full of crisp, vibrant colors that help to contribute in transporting you to another world; the Land of Oz to be exact.
Upon hearing rumors many months ago that this movie was going into production, I was extremely skeptical. Why doesn’t Hollywood leave well enough alone? Why do they insist on fixing something that is not broken? The original film (The Wizard of Oz (1939) is a timeless classic. It is one of the most famous and beloved movies ever made. Even 74 years later, the film could never be made better. Why try to even compete?
I found out that this new movie was going to be a prequel. I was still just as skeptical. I forgot about it for a while until I finally saw a preview for it. The preview was intriguing enough for me to want to see it.
Oz the Great and Powerful was very tastefully written and filmed. It did not try to compete with the original, and it never could. I was impressed by how the Land of Oz was recreated. No, it was not the same as the Oz that we all know and love, but it was a nice tribute to that Oz. The scenes in black and white were reminiscent to the scenes in Kansas that we all grew up watching. Not the same, but entertaining to watch.
The movie was a fun take on what happened in Oz before Dorothy got there. It tells the tale of how Oz himself ended up there. You get to see how the wicked witch became wicked and who her sister was long before she gets a house dropped on her. Glinda the good witch is there and so are the munchkins.
The movie is filled with capable actors like James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Tony Cox, Bruce Campbell, and Ted Raimi. They all give decent, likable performances. Nobody really stands out, but that’s okay.
I can’t imagine how much pressure Sam Raimi was under when he directed this movie. There are big shoes that he could never fill.
The film does not try to intertwine with the original and that is what strongly works in its favor. It is a whole different story and a whole different movie. If you don’t expect it to actually be the original, then you might actually enjoy it like I did.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
If you are thinking about renting a movie from the Redbox, you might want to read this list to help you decide exactly which movie to rent.
Here is another edition of my top 13 current Redbox movies, back by popular demand.
Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews September 2013
Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews August 2013
Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews July 2013
Click on this link to read Vol. 1 from 2/10/13.
Click on this link to read Vol. 3 from 4/21/13.
Click on this link to read Vol. 4 from 5/9/13.
I have updated the list based on all the movies that are currently available to rent at the Redbox as of 3/14/13. They will change some of the titles weekly, but the list should still be pretty accurate for a while and hopefully be able to help you find a good movie to rent. I have included the DVD covers and previews. If a movie doesn’t have a cover or preview above it, simply click on the title for my full review of the movie along with the poster artwork and preview.
I do not claim to have seen all of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox, but I have seen 67 of them. Of those 67 movies, here is the list of my top 13 Current Redbox movies:
1. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) My Rating: 10
3. Ted (2012)
4. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) My Rating: 9
5. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
8. Looper (2012) My Rating: 8.5
9. Titanic (1997) My Rating: 8.5
11. Flight (2012)
12. Sinister (2012)
13. Moneyball (2011) My Rating: 8
You really can’t go wrong with any movie on this list. Next time you’re going to the Redbox, I recommend consulting this list. They are in my opinion, the best current Redbox movies.
Now that you have seen my recommended Redbox movies, check out my list of movies to stay away from. Click on the link below:
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
Are you a fan of Netflix? Click on the following links below for Netflix related material:
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013
20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Ted (2012)
Ted (2012)
Ted was without a doubt the funniest movie of 2012. The film weaves together more types of humor than I can imagine. It’s a crude, crass, vulgar, silly, raunchy, stupid, quirky, dark, dry, clever, witty, well written, laugh out loud, pee your pants, riot! It was absolutely and utterly hilarious! If you’re a fan of the TV show Family Guy, then you will love Ted. Both shows have the same type of comedy because they were both created by the same funnyman genius, Seth Macfarlane.
There are many similarities and differences to both shows. Family Guy is an animated TV show, while Ted is a live action movie with the title character being the only one that is computer animated. In Family Guy there is a talking baby and a talking dog, while in Ted there is a talking teddy bear that has come to life. Ted is able to get away with a lot more rude humor because it is rated R and unrated, while Family Guy is a little more toned down because it’s on TV.
If you are familiar with the TV show Family Guy, then you probably know that Mila Kunis supplies the voice of Meg Griffin and Seth Macfarlane contributes the voice of Peter Griffin. Kunis plays Mark Wahlberg’s girlfriend in Ted, and Macfarlane does the voice of Ted. Oddly enough Seth Macfarlane did the same voice for both Peter Griffin and Ted. They sound the same. He didn’t bother to make them different. Honestly, I don’t know which one is funnier.
Macfarlane does an excellent job directing the entire cast to make Ted as real as possible. It’s not long before you forget that Ted is not a living thing. The actors do a wonderful job interacting with something that is not even there. I think that Walhberg does an especially good job in his scenes with Ted and making them believable.
Mila Kunis is actually very likable in Ted as opposed to her character Meg in Family Guy, who everybody loves to hate.
Giovanni Ribisi adds an awesome lunatic character to the film. It is another one of many weird roles that he adds to his resume’ of crazy characters.
Patrick Stewart narrates the film and even he is quite comical.
If you are looking for a good laugh and are into all types of comedy, then this movie should do the trick.
I rate this movie a 9 out of 10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
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