WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD OPEN BIG AT NUMBER ONE! JACK GETS CUT DOWN TO NUMBER TWO!
1. Oz The Great & Powerful/ Disney Wknd/$80.3M Total/$80.3
2. Jack the Giant Slayer/Warners Wknd/$10.0 Total$43.8
3. Identity Thief/Universal Wknd/$6.3 Total/$116.5
4. Dead Man Down/FD Wknd$5.4 Total/$5.4
5. Snitch/LGF Wknd/$5.1 Total/$31.9
6. 21 & Over/Relativity Wknd/$5.1 Total/$16.8
7. Saven Haven/Relativity Wknd/$3.8 Total/$62.9
8. Silver Linings Playbook/Wein Wknd/$3.7 Total/$120.7
9. Escape From Planet Earth/Wein Wknd/$3.2 Total/$47.8
10. Last Exorcism Pt. II Wknd/$3.1 Total/$12.1
I’D RATHER SEE UNDER THE RAINBOW AGAIN
Oz The Great & Powerful opens big at number one which is pretty sad given it’s not that good a movie and will undoubtedly lead more equally inferior sequel prequels. Like most prequels it makes the basic mistake of feeling the need to answer a question that no one even asked like, ‘What was Anakin Skywalker’s childhood like?” or “Who was Bobba Fett’s dad?” or “How was C3PO made?” Yes, Godfather II told the origins of The Coreleones but it wasn’t the sole point of the film and they didn’t make a point of explaining exactly why Fat Clemenza so loved cannoli. It also doesn’t help that this film exists in the shadow of highly successful prequel, Wicked, because in addition to telling the origin of The Wizard it also ties it in with the origin of the Wicked Witch. In turn it is as shallow as Wicked is dark (in Wicked the Wizard is likewise a con man from earth, but drugs and rapes the Witch’s slutty mother making The Witch actually his daughter and the drug he used is what makes her green). James Franco is only engaging as Oz (short for Oscar) when can play him as a lothario con man. When he has to play up the “deep down a good man” angle he looks as bored as we are as he follows the prophecy that he has to come to Oz and save it. Given that Frank Baum, the creator of the Oz books was a staunch feminist he must be rolling in his grave over this idea. It makes even less sense when you see how powerful all the witches are, while he just relies on tricks. Mila Kunis is the witch who starts off as good, but fighting a horrible inner rage that gives her tears of flame. When Oz breaks her heart she’s easy prey for her already unrepentantly wicked sister (Rachel Weisz, who thinks she’s in a better movie) who gives her a green apple (get it?) that completes her journey to the dark side, which in this case means a really poor impression of the original Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton for the last half of the movie and the revelation that Mila Kunis simply isn’t that good an actress. Okay, maybe not so much a revelation as reinforcement.
