*Editor’s note: You may have heard me mention Mr. Grap once or twice before. He’s my collaborator (and the driving creative force) on cool events like the Horror for the Holidays series here in the Twin Cities. Chris shared his crazy theory with me over the weekend and I asked him to do the same for our readers. I have to say, he makes a compelling argument. (TK)
Name a Sam Raimi-directed film where a character with a healthy, somewhat misplaced ego falls from the sky into a strange land where he is believed to be a prophesied hero? I’ll accept two answers.
From the trailers Oz: The Great & Powerful looked like a been-there-done-that affair. I hadn’t heard much from anybody about it and didn’t seek out many reviews beyond their loglines that mostly depicted the film as nothing special. Imagine my surprise when find I myself at the theatre and realize Raimi didn’t remake Oz like many had suggested. He fucking remade Army of Darkness! And for families!
Stay with me here…
Like Ash, Oz falls from the sky only to discover a prophecy foretelling his coming as he’s told he’ll be the one to free the land from a wicked witch. He meets a lady, charms her and she eventually turns into a witch. Oz tells people all along that he’s not the hero they think he is. Eventually he assumes the role they believe him worthy of but not before learning a little lesson himself. He’s not the hero they think he is, though he might just be the hero they need.
After taking stock of the locals and their skills at his disposal he uses a book he brought with him to teach them how to make gunpowder and other weapons as well as modify a vehicle to be used against the stronger forces. I was seriously expecting to hear cries of “Ha! Hu! Hi! Ya!” somewhere in this sequence. Oz the man eventually rises to the occasion and becomes the hero he needed to be and runs the enemies out of Oz the kingdom.
Get this, there’s even a part where the China Girl in Oz gleefully suggests they go kill themselves a witch. Didn’t Ash once suggest he and his female cohort go carve themselves a witch? The similarities are too obvious to ignore. Let’s recap, shall we?
Ash vs. Oz
- Ash falls from the sky with an Oldsmobile
- Oz falls from the sky in a hot air balloon
- Ash learns his arrival was foretold by a prophecy and he is the chosen one that will vanquish evil
- Oz learns his arrival was foretold by a prophecy and he is the great wizard that will vanquish evil
- Ash charms a lady that later turns into a hideous witch
- Oz charms a lady that later turns into a hideous witch
- Ash’s bragging gets him in over his head
- Oz’s bragging gets him in over his head
- Ash utilizes the skills of the locals and enlists them to combat a stronger army
- Oz utilizes the skills of the locals and enlists them to combat a stronger army
- Ash uses a book he brought with him to teach his army how to make gun powder and other weapons
- Oz uses a book he brought with him to teach his army how to make gun powder and other weapons
- Ash works with the locals to modify a vehicle for use against his enemies
- Oz works with the locals to modify a vehicle for use against his enemies
What? Holy shit. Did Raimi sneak one by Disney and get a paycheck to make a family friendly, big-budget version of a cult classic he directed 20 years ago? I know I can’t be alone in thinking this. Any Chewers have some thoughts? Did I miss anything?
11 comments
Great write-up, good sir! I posted this exact same comparison on Facebook right after I saw the movie opening weekend. I’m glad I’m not the only one who saw the parallels.
I knew there had to be others! Nobody that I was with had seen Army of Darkness (because they just got back from Mars?) and I was itching to talk to somebody else about it. It’s crazy.
Whoa! Still doesn’t make me want to see Oz, but I will burn through the Evil Dead trilogy again.
Also, those elements of Army of Darkness could be considered a meta-reference to A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, making it a remake of remake. 😉
When Franco replaces the China Girl’s missing leg with a chainsaw.
Are we really so desperate for EVIL DEAD IV, that we’re making comparisons between OZ and ARMY OF DARKNESS?
(Because I know I am.)
I totally saw the similarities as well. My lady and i were talking about it after the movie. Though after revisiting Army of Darkness recently I feel that it was a couple of trims away from pg 13 family friendly itself.
Don’t forget the foggy graveyard where he needs to find the magic book… I mean wand.
It is. If you lose either the very brief flash of boobs or the one f-bomb, you’re there. At PG I think Oz is far scarier than a lot of PG-13 fare.
Yep, I was expecting something cool and wacky during the graveyard scene since I felt the “Army vibe”. Disappointed, but I guess you can’t really beat Three Stooges skeletons.
Yep. I was willing to overlook similar production design and creature make up only because so many directors work with the same crew and those familiar looks creep in however, you’re right. Wand instead of a book. In a graveyard. Add it to the list!
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