Could use some work, but overall quite interesting and entertaining

Hypnotica

WARNING: There is no "may" about this review containing spoilers.

It wasn't love of The Oz stories that led me to watch this, despite having watching the Judy Garland version Lord and Lady know how many times as a child. It was curiosity. I wanted to see just how different this would be from the story I knew.

The answer: Different enough to astound me.

The first section of this mini-series is riddled with references to the original story and the musical so many of us grew up with. I was expecting that. But imagine my surprise at the presence of machine guns and chain saws in Oz. Oh, excuse me, it is now called the Outer Zone, or the O.Z. Then, of course, there are hologram projectors, machines that can project what is in a person's mind, and cyborgs.

After the first section, it grows even farther from the old story. There are still references, of course, but it's definitely not what we knew anymore.

Our heroine, DG, was born in the O.Z., but sent away as a child for her own protection. Unlike her somewhat whiny predecessor, this woman has a bit of attitude and brains. And some serious guts, as she demonstrates when she tries to help a family being attacked by Longcoats, the Sorceress Azkadelia's henchmen, armed with only a branch.

I'm sorry to say, though, that Zooey Deschanel didn't do a very good job on this portrayal. I've seen her in other films and know that she can act, so I'm not entirely sure what she was doing here. Half of it was fine, but the rest was just beneath her abilities. (Personally, I blame the director for letting her get away with that.)

Azkadelia is definitely a far cry from the ugly Wicked Witch of the West. She may be beautiful, but don't let that fool you. The old witch has nothing on this new version when it comes to evil and cruelty.

In place of the Scarecrow, we have Glitch. Once a genius and Royal Adviser to the Queen, he has been reduced to a sometimes annoying, but lovable ditz. This, of course, is because he only has half a brain left. Literally. The witch had it removed so that she could use his knowledge for her own purposes. He keeps what marbles he has left sealed in his head with a zipper.

Replacing the Lion is Raw, a strange, but gentle creature with psychic abilities. Despite his timid ways, Raw is very capable of being brave, especially when it comes to his friends' safety.

The Tin Man is Caine. Or, rather, former Tin Man. "Tin Man" is the term used for police in the O.Z. He lost everything when he was discovered to be fighting for The Resistance. Worse, he was imprisoned in a sealed tin suit for years, forced to watch a holographic image of his family being tortured and taken from him over and over again. All he has left is the idea of revenge and keeping DG safe, since she is the only one who might be able to defeat Azkadelia.

The Wizard is anything but wonderful. He might have been once, but has been reduced to a stoner dependent on Vapors, a magic equivalent of ecstasy. Still, in his sober moments he is a big help to the heroes.

The flying monkeys are still in. The old version, ugly though they were, still managed to have a slight cuteness about them. Not these. When they're not out doing her dirty work, they accompany Azkadelia everywhere in quite a surprising way.

Toto is also still in... sort of. The little dog is actually a shape-shifter who was once a teacher to both DG and Azkadelia. After 15 years of imprisonment, he is all too willing to help his former pupil. The question is, which one?

Overall, I was impressed. There are spots that could have been better and things that could have been more thoroughly explained, but the concepts and story are quite imaginative. It *is* really long, but definitely worth at least one watch. (I could have done without those weird turkey-looking people who I think were supposed to replace the munchkins, though. They came off more like Oompa Loompas gone terribly, terribly wrong. I'd also really like to know how Caine could have survived in that metal suit for so long, but I guess it makes about as much sense as how the original Tin Man came to be made of tin.)

However, I must confess, I'm a little confused as to why it is titled "Tin Man." That implies that Caine is the main focus of the story, which he is not, although he is given a much more significant role in this version. Oh, well. It was still good, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

score 7/10

Hypnotica 5 December 2007

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1775131/