Guess who's not in Kansas, anymore? That would be James Franco in Oz The Great And Powerful. He plays two-bit magician Oscar Diggs who rides a hot-air balloon into a cyclone and travels from a dusty black-and-white world into a vibrant colorful one populated with munchkins and witches, played by Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams.
Judging from this trailer, director Sam Raimi has done a good job of creating a sense of continuity between this prequel to The Wizard of Oz and the original. The black-and-white-to-color switch mirrors Dorothy's trip to Oz and the munchkins, well, they could very well be the brethren of the original Lollipop Guild.
At the same time, this clip reveals some fresh Raimi-esque touches that make Oz look more fantastical — and more dangerous. That sharp-toothed sprite in one of the shots is a combination of friendly and malevolent that never fails to creep me out, and that last shot of the flying monkeys indicates they will be a lot more fearsome this time around.
Then there's the big question: Does Oz: The Great and Powerful sync up with a Pink Floyd album the way that Dark Side of the Moon does with the original?
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