I watched the new Russian film “The Wizard of the Emerald City” (2024). He has already collected more than 300 million rubles, although he just updated

Adapting the cult book by Alexander Volkov is not an easy task. On the one hand, this is a beloved classic that is expected to be faithful to the spirit of the original. On the other hand, the auditorium of the 21st century requires new meanings, dynamics and vivid emotions.

The authors of the new film understood this very well and tried to attract viewing in cinemas with a mixture of already established classics and modern trends. This was already visible in the trailers. And it worked – the film earned more than 310 million rubles from pre-sales alone.

We have already watched the new product and will hasten to share our impressions. The first part of the planned trilogy of The Wizard of Oz retains the feeling of a beautiful, but unfinished concept.

A modern adaptation is here

What is the film about?: A girl named Ellie lives in a distant city. One day, the evil witch Gingema conjured a hurricane that carried Ellie and her dog Totoshka to the country of Munchkins.

To return home, Ellie, along with new friends – the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion – sets off along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City in search of the Wizard, who has fulfilled his deepest desires.

The film’s storyline follows the original book almost word for word, which is commendable. The creators clearly sought to please Volkov’s fans, carefully preserving all the key moments. There is a tornado, and Ellie’s meeting with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion. There is danger, naive lessons in friendship and, of course, the promise of a great miracle in the Emerald City. However, the rhythm of the narrative is too great, the ending with a cliffhanger looks awkward (they didn’t expect a different type of ending for the trilogy, but it could have been done differently).

The viewer is given a chance to admire the yellow brick road and the sparkling city in the distance, but is not given the chance to go all the way. It feels like you are being led to a beautiful cake, but are only allowed to evoke its aroma. This is done in order to maintain interest in future installments, but the cautious approach leaves a sour taste.

Unfortunately, the cast doesn’t live up to the level that such a big story requires. The main character Ellie, although cute, seems somewhat flat. Her emotions weakly convey the full range of feelings that must solve a problem that finds itself in an alien, frightening world. For most of the film she is neutral, and only rarely manages to show a smile.

Ellie’s companions – Scarecrow, Woodcutter and Lion – look like souvenirs come to life. They are sweet and good-natured, but, alas, they lack freedom. Lev is especially disappointing: his fears and insecurities are presented so superficially that the character seems simply a comic addition to the group, like almost all the main characters of the past “Musicians of Bremen” (Thank you for at least making an effort to appear here, and not whatever…). The one who really pays attention is the Wizard, but even he appears too rarely to be anything more than a mystery.

The directing is too careful in places. It seems that the filmmakers did not decide to offer their own vision of the story and simply reproduced Volkov’s text. The characters move according to the script, as if along a pre-laid subway line: without deviations or surprises.

The dynamics of the scenes leave much to be desired, and many key episodes – for example, the meeting with the Munchkins or the storage of flying monkeys – are not at all as exciting as they could be. Too slow and clumsy.

The visuals may be captivating, but there are too few scenes

If there’s one thing about the film that really impresses, it’s the visuals. The yellow brick road looks perfect – you just want to walk along it. The emerald city sparkles like a jewel, and the landscapes of a magical land reflect its birth. However, this impression is spoiled by clunky CGI effects.

Scenes where the actors interact with CGI sometimes look downright artificial. For example, flying monkeys, which are supposed to inspire fear, are more likely to cause bewilderment. Despite this, there was an overall fairy-tale atmosphere that the younger ones might enjoy.

This simply begs a comparison with The Lord of the Rings, which the authors of The Wizard of Oz were clearly inspired by. And here the error loses on all fronts due to the paucity of graphics, not very high processing of world details and minimal natural shooting.

The classic version of “Emerald” is distinguished by its simplicity and sincerity. Where the 2024 film aims to surprise with special effects, it captivates the characters and music in an original way. The harmony between fabulousness and light sincerity remains an elusive standard.

And the sorceress Bastinde clearly decided not to pay attention now. It is located in one (!) location of the entire timing. It was as if she had been locked there by force and not even allowed to breathe air.

Where the Chronicles of Narnia adaptation finds a balance between being faithful to the text and modern filmmaking techniques, The Wizard of Oz puts a huge emphasis on modern slang and hero actions that ruin the atmosphere and look impressive. Especially in moments like this, when you hear stupid jokes about relocants and mass fakes.

The musical accompaniment, alas, depends on the events. The soundtrack uses classic tunes, but they are not memorable. At moments when the music could achieve drama or magic, it is simply not enough. This finally became the reason for the importance of music in creating a magical atmosphere.

Beautiful but empty start

“The Wizard of the Emerald City. Yellow Brick Road is a beautiful but overly cautious film. His strengths are his visual style and careful handling of the book. However, weak acting, slow pacing and a clunky ending prevent it from fully capturing the country.

This film feels more like a prelude than a full-fledged work. If future parts correct the mistakes, then the trilogy could become worthy. In the meantime, we have before us a bright but unfinished story, which leaves viewers with a feeling of slight disappointment.