Oz The Great And Powerful - Reviewed

L. Frank Baum's The Wizard Of Oz is perhaps the most popular work of fiction to have been adapted for the silver screen and stage alike across the decades. From the iconic movie adaptation starring Judy Garland as the naive Dorothy to the off beat version with an all african american star cast, Hollywood has been inspired time and again by the author's beloved children's book.

And the fictional universe of Oz has served as the breeding ground for other writers/ own take on the memorable characters. Chief among them being the Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch which also sprang a hit broadway musical. So it was about time someone made a movie with the titular character, the Wizard, as the protagonist; Oz The Great And Powerful is that movie.

Opening in Kansas, we get a glimpse of the life of one, Oscar Diggs, a travelling circus magician who is interested in a life beyond the confines of simplicity and humility. A con-artist and a ladies man, Oscar "Oz" dreams of greatness and is willing to step over anyone to achieve that dream. However fate decides to choose otherwise and our con-man's aspirations are literally "twisted" when a stray tornado spits him out of Kansas city and into the wondrous land of Oz.

A seemingly fairy-tale land, Oz is filled all sorts of colourful flora and fauna which enthral Oscar till he meets a beautiful stranger who believes Oscar is the prophesied "Wizard" who shall rid the land of the wicked witch and bring peace and prosperity to their land. What begins from that point on is our beloved "Oz's"  journey from selfish grifter to a selfless hero. Along the way, Oz faces some perils and befriends a variety of colourful characters, some of whom foreshadow events and people from the original story.

Directed by Sam Raimi, this story serves, in many ways, as a prequel to the 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz. Like the earlier movie, Raimi's film opens in black and white and goes into full colour once our protagonist enters the land of Oz. The look and feel of Oz are also pretty similar. And the resemblance between the Wicked Witch of West in both movies is also quite consistent. These similarities, as stated by Raimi, are intentional and serve as an homage to the classic movie.

First timers, who watch the movie with no knowledge about the Oz universe, let alone the Wizard, will probably scoff at the ludicrous characters and locations. However the script does manage to stand on its own and should not bore the noobs. For those who have read or watched the original story will be delighted with the numerous allusions and homages sprinkled throughout the movie.

Visually the movie relies on CGI extensively and as a result does a great job. The musical forest sequence is quite cool and well orchestrated. But don't fret if you are reminded of Avatar at some point since the two movies share the same art director. Raimi's trademark in-your-face scary visuals are present in portions and are a throw back to his Evil-Dead days. Speaking of Evil-Dead, Raimi's trusted cohort, Bruce Campbell also stars in this movie. (Extra points if you can spot him at first try!). The rendition of Emerald City and Glinda's Castle are truly masterful.

This story is set approximately 20 years prior to the original Wizard Of Oz, so there's scope for a set of additional prequel stories being planned with the same cast, which is a good thing since all the cast members (even the voice cast!) are excellent. Mila Kunis and James Franco are truly talented actors and are a fine fit to the story.

I'd definitely recommend the movie to fans of Baum's Oz universe. And if you're one of those noobs, you'll still come out of the movie hall smiling. So go watch Oz: The Great And Powerful!

Book Review - Death On A High Floor

Death On a High Floor by Charles Rosenberg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Legal thrillers are my most cherished literary genre. You could blame John Grisham for that since my first real tryst with reading novels (yes I started quite late!) was with his brilliantly awesome books, the earlier, better ones. Not only did his stories whet my appetite for reading more books but also help define the legal thriller genre for me.

When I read the reviews for this particular title, the fact that it was penned by a former attorney and legal consultant to many legal TV dramas instantaneously sealed the deal for me!

The basic plot centers around, well, a death that takes place on the high floors of a reputable Los Angeles based law firm. The death is soon categorized as a murder and the story follows (or rather is narrated by) the senior partner at the law firm who becomes the prime suspect for the said murder.

Although our senior protagonist is a person of interest, there are numerous possible suspects and the narrator's personal investigations and thoughts tend to point the needle on the guilty compass, rather convincingly, to a few of them. Among them are other senior members of the law firm, present and retired as well as the victim's former lover! Throw in a counterfeit (potentially) ancient coin in the middle and the story also has something for fellow Numismatics


The first person narrative was quite refreshing and felt very comfortable (since I've kinda gotten used to that format reading GRRM's A Song Of Ice And Fire Series). That, the author has been a consultant to prime time legal TV dramas is quite evident in the dialogues between the characters in the story. And this is a good thing since it keeps the story quite engaging even when legal jargon is being jutted out in huge blocks.

The plot, environment and characters are, or at least have been penned, in a way that makes them very lucid and realistic further enabling you to truly get absorbed into the story. The author cleverly peppers subtle breadcrumbs for a sleuth-in-training to begin piecing the puzzle together and derive at a conclusion on his own. Fret not, for if you're without a background in investigatory studies because the plot is demystified and you do learn who is the true culprit.

The one tiny complaint that I would have the story would be the slightly late disclosure of the true murderer and the fashion in which the revelation is done. Apart from being slightly improbable it also forces the motive and opportunity of the said murder to be disclosed as an epilogue rather than as part of the actual story. Like I said it's a very tiny complaint because it doesn't really rob you of the satisfaction of the getting closure on the mystery.

I'd recommend this title to folks, who like me, enjoy devouring entertaining albeit slightly movie-style legal dramas. Give it a read!




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Wanderlust: Singapore OR A Noob's Guide To Visiting The Lion City

So this post is pretty much impromptu and totally random in every sense. This one's actually a mail to a friend who was enquiring about tourist hot spots in Singapore for her family (specifically her mom and sister). Although this is by no means a comprehensive guide to the Lion City, it's still a pretty nice primer for folks visiting the little red dot, especially during the holiday season. 

Most of the city is pretty much oriented towards shoppers, so there are ginormous malls in most areas. Although shopping isn't on their agenda, your sister and mom may enjoy just walking around these retail meccas for a while. Most notable ones are Takashiyama (Orchard road), Ion Orchard (Orchard Road), Raffles City (City Hall), Plaza Singapura (Dhoby Ghaut), VivoCity (Harbourfront) and Suntec City Mall (City Hall). And with the holiday season looming around the corner, these malls and shopping districts will be lit up like the 4th of July and will be absolutely picturesque!

If they enjoy taking walks around the city then I'd recommend taking the hop-on hop-off city tours. They offer the flexibility to explore pockets of the city such as Little India, CBD, Matina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino (the casino doesn't compare to the big Vegas ones, but is quite good), Singapore Flyer (similar to the London Eye), Botanical Gardens and Orchard Road. The most prominent (and I think the only one) player is Duck & Hippo. They offer great packages to combine multiple touring options.

The Singapore Zoo and Bird Park are also great destinations for a day trip and offer some great souvenirs to take back. For a unique experience they could possibly  try the Night Safari which is supposed to be quite good.

If they enjoy outdoor activities and wanna enjoy a nice bicycle ride (or skates!) along the shore, then they should check out East Coast Park (or ECP as its called by the locals). They can rent a cycle here and ride along the almost 7.5 km stretch of beach and park along the south eastern portion of the island.

If they can spare an entire day, they can also head to Pulau Ubin, a small island to the north east of Singapore and just a 30 min ferry ride away. Its a relatively under-developed fishing village but has some great cheap seafood options and an amazing bicycle trail that runs along the entire island.

If they'd like a short trek, there are a few options for that as well. Bukit Timah, Mc Rithcie Resevoir and Mt Faber are local trek hotspots. Although don't expect the rustic trekking trails of Maharashtra since all of these are pretty much man-made and have paved roads running through them. In fact, Mt. Faber also has 3-4 hill side fine dining restaurants.

There aren't too many great beaches (well not the kind you find in other SE Asian countries at least!) but a famous touristy beach is the Siloso beach on Sentosa, which another island to the south of mainland Singapore. Apart from the beach, there are also a rotating observation tower, Tiger Tower (so called because it's sponsored by Tiger Beer), The gigantic version of the original Merlion Statue and quite a few other activities and sights. Sentosa has a lot to offer and is a good day's outing. Sentosa is where they will also find Universal Studios which makes a good all-day outing.

I'm not sure if the information I've provided is what you were looking for exactly, but do let me know if you need any specifics and/or some other details or options.

Here are some useful links that may help paint a better picture about all that you've just read

Duck & Hippo Tours - http://www.ducktours.com.sg/ 

Resorts World Sentosa - http://www.rwsentosa.com/

Takashiyama - http://www.takashimaya-sin.com/

Pulau Ubin - http://www.pulauubin.com.sg/

Singapore Zoo - http://www.zoo.com.sg/

Bird Park - http://www.birdpark.com.sg/

NIght Safari - http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/

Singapore Flyer - http://www.singaporeflyer.com/

Christmas at Orchard Road - http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaragorn1984/sets/72157625628528094/show/

And here's a link to my flickr set which has pics from the city - http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaragorn1984/sets/72157626694561885/

The pics may give you a better sense of what to expect at the various spots.

Like I said, this isn't an article for the Lonely Planet or Frommer's Travel material, but IMHO it's a pretty decent writeup about what tourists can expect when visiting Singapore.