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Tin Man (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
RRP: $12.95Our Price: $7.19 (subject to change)Editorial
Description
A tent-pole miniseries release from RHI Entertainment and SCI FI Channel, Tin Man is a modern science fiction update of L. Frank Baum’s timeless "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." When a sorceress named Azkadellia scorches the once-beautiful land of OZ into a desolate wasteland, the only hope lies in an "outsider" named DG, a young Midwestern woman, whose troubling dreams have summoned her to the doomed paradise. D.G. embarks on a journey to find the great mystic man to save the O.Z. and on her way she befriends a scarecrow named Glitch, a tin cop named Cain, and gentle manimal named Raw. Journey beyond the yellow brick road withTin Man, now on DVD for the first time in this 2-Disc Collector's Edition with amazing bonus features and collectible packaging.
Good but far from greatReview date: 2010-07-30 Rating: 6 out of 10I agree with the other reviewer who said this falls short of the original intent to make this an adult version of the classic children's movie. The acting is sub-par all the way through, except maybe Richard Dreifuss' Mystic, and the comical Glitch. The others are carboard characters with no complexity at all. The production is surprizingly good for a TV series, but the attempt to fuse the different genres is pretty cheesy. We have heroic quest fantasy a la Lord Of The Rings, a fairy tale (Alice in Wonderland), distopian science fiction story (Brave New World), post-apocalyptic action-adventure (Waterworld, Mad Max). Many scenes and characters are out of place, like the entire "Resistance" army. They cannot resist anything at all - the witch and her army are too powerful. The witch's army and Gestapo-like secret police is pretty redundant as well - isn't a witch supposed to have magic to do all that for her? The WW2 machines especially seemed ridiculous. Also the whole Dune scene in front of the Witches Castle (which itself is like the Dark Tower in Two Towers) seemed highly unoriginal.
That said, I still like the way the plot gradually unfolds to reveal more about the heroine and the villain, and the way they are intimately connected. And there are some interesting scenes involving magic, such as the demon-like dark witch possessing Askadelia, and her eventual exorcism at the end.
On the whole this is a highly derrivative, un-original work, albeit a very entertaining one.
ReviewsWell Worth WatchingReview date: 2010-07-29 Rating: 8 out of 10"Tin Man", a 3 part mini-series that aired on the Sci-Fi channel in 2007, is a re-imagining of the Wizard of Oz. But unlike the classic 1939 movie, which despite its overtones of evil, was basically a bright and cheerful place, "Tin Man" is much darker and apocalyptic (and in a sense, truer to the novel by L. Frank Baum.)
The story follows D.G., a young woman in Kansas who lives at home on a farm, working as a waitress in a local diner, and yearning for a more exciting life, one where she better fits in. Without giving anything away, she is transported to the O.Z. (the Outer Zone) and meets up with updated versions of the tin man, cowardly lion, and scarecrow, who help her on her quests. However, while giving the occasional nod to the 1939 film, the story and characters in "Tin Man" are basically brand new, and are entertaining and imaginative.
For a miniseries, the special effects are quite good and very realistic. The actors are, by and large, talented and fit well into their characters, especially Alan Cumming as Glitch (the scarecrow), and Neal McDonough as the Tin Man. I had some problems with Zooey Deschanel's portrayal of DG, though. While Ms Deschanel is extremely talented, I felt that the scope of her character's emotions was too limited and too bland, when greater passion and amazement would have been more appropriate.
While I enjoyed the story as a whole, I also thought some of the dialog was a bit too stilted and/or trite at times, and that there were several holes in the plot that could have been better explained. Again, without trying to give anything away, the evil witch has her purpose, but it's never really clear why she wants to do it, especially as the likely impact would be the end of the world. The first two episodes were better in this regard, while the third (and final episode) felt a bit rushed. I also would have liked a slightly longer and more conclusive ending after DG and company defeat the witch.
Taken as a whole, though, this is a good miniseries. It runs to about 4 ½ hours of actual viewing time, and is well worth watching. I liked how they turned the story of the Wizard of Oz inside out, along with the superior productions values, and how well the actors fit their roles.
Such a treat right when I needed it!Review date: 2010-07-29 Rating: 10 out of 10The movie came exactly when it said it would and it worked 100%, couldn't have asked for more!Steam punk O.Z. exceeds expectationsReview date: 2010-07-24 Rating: 10 out of 10WE ALL KNOW the Tin Man is the guy looking for a heart. But in the three-part series broadcast on SyFy (formerly SciFi), we have "...a team of characters missing parts who, as a group, complete each other," as Raoul Trujillo (Raw/Cowardly Lion) says in the making-of.
Sounds a lot like the original, yes? Still, the overriding quest in this new take - from the Wicked Witch, Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson) to D.G./Dorothy Gale (Zooey Deschanel) herself - the theme is finding heart as in love and courage.
In a clever script from Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle directed by Nick Willing, "The Wizard of Oz," both book and film, have been filtered through a rusty steam punk lens for an exciting sci-fi twist. Gadgets made up of ancient office machines and what looks like Dr. Frankenstein's original set define the O.Z. or Outer Zone. The Scarecrow is now Glitch (Alan Cumming), once the most intelligent man in the universe, now a zipper-headed goofball in search of his missing brain. (Find it bottled in Dr. Frank's lab in the W.W.'s industrialized castle.)
D.G. - Dorothy - wears bootcut jeans and rides a motorcycle in old Kansas where she works as a waitress in a blue gingham apron. (Who wouldn't want leave that behind?) ToTo is a shape shifter. The Cowardly Lion - or Raw - has leonine characteristics and is a member of an empathic race, captured and used by the W.W. in order to glean secrets from her enemies.
The Tin Man/Wyatt Cain (Neal McDonough) is an Old West style law enforcer complete with cool hat and six gun. He also rides a white horse. When introduced, Cain is found in a gruesome metal diving suit contraption, a device that continually replays the most horrific day of sustaining him physically. His heart is hardened by grief while the others are shattered, yet they band together to fight the evil that has overtaken the O.Z.
That would be the gorgeous Wicked Witch who dresses in extreme, body sculpting style - golden body armour, leather, satin - and whose flying bat monkeys come to life through tattoos inscribed on her cleavage.
Visually, "Tin Man" is a treat with all its imaginative characters, costumes and sets. Effects are not always the best. Those flying monkeys, for example, are sometimes painfully rendered. Some efforts, such as the green house and double eclipse, look amateurish. However, it all blends in well with the story; color and detail are movie quality, especially in high-def. A stereo soundtrack sounds good; viewers will enjoy re-watching and listening for classic Oz references. An original score by Simon Boswell has a lush, almost classic sound.
Extras are carried over from the DVD collector's edition and make lively viewing once the series concludes. The best would be "Beyond the Yellow Brick Road: The Making of Tin Man," a detailed behind-scenes exploration with interviews from cast and crew. This is a film adults can enjoy on their own or together with young ones. It might even make a decent, two-night double feature with the classic "Wizard of Oz" - or pair it with Nick Willing's most recent SyFy homage, "Alice," a reboot of "Alice in Wonderland."
Better then the OriginalReview date: 2010-07-06 Rating: 10 out of 10Hate to say it, but this is a better telling of the original story. The Sci-Fi version seems more believable to me. Amazing characters. Long movie, but it's a mini-series after all. Great Saturday Afternoon Movie.
Product Details/SpecificationsActor(s):
Raoul Trujillo
Zooey Deschanel
Alan Cumming
Neal McDonough
Richard Dreyfuss
Director(s):
Recording label: Rhi Entertainment Manufacturer: Rhi EntertainmentEAN: 0796019808552Binding: DVDFormat: Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC, Release date: 2008-03-11Universal product code (UPC): 796019808552Number of discs: 2Aspect ratio: 1.66:1Audience rating: NR (Not Rated)Region code: 1Running time: 265 minutesTheatrical release date: 2007Language: English (Unknown)
Language: English (Original Language)
Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
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