Tin Man - Over the Slow Pacing

When Tin Man first came out, I was mostly excited because Zooey Deschanel gets to play Dorothy (called DG in this one) in a Wizard of OZ reimagining.

Upon watching in it's original air dates, I was blown away by the visuals but felt alienated in the slow pace of the story.

The movie is helmed by the Halmi duo, who also worked on the epic 10th Kingdom. That thing was 7 hours long, but the pacing was so on that it didn't feel that way. Tin Man is not as long as 10th Kingdom but man did each episode (3 episodes 1 1/2 hour long each) feel like a task.

If Zooey weren't a part of this mini-series, I really wouldn't have paid it no mind.

Years later, I decide to watch it on Blu Ray (because TV films on Blu Ray ROCK!!!). I sat down and watched all 4 1/2 hours of this mini-series. One sitting. I watched it with open eyes and an open mind. I came to realize it's not as bad as I thought. If anything, with time it has gotten better.

The slow pacing isn't as grating if you come to expect it.

I was mostly impressed with the steampunk look of this mini-series. Steampunk and Oz are a good marriage.

There are a lot of references to the books and the popular 1939 MGM classic.

I really like the two leads in this one. It is no secret that I am in love with our lead, Zooey. Zooey Deshchanel brings her unique acting technique to a part that really required her to stretch her limits. In this one movie she has to be vulnerable, strong, confused, scared out of her mind and heroic; all while being a normal girl from Kansas. I'm a huge Zooey fan. Check out her band She and Him. Kathleen Robertson plays our villainess. She suceeds in going for a much quieter, more sinister witch than previously portrayed before. These two are a joy to watch in their individual parts as well as their scenes together.

Rewatching this mini-series with unbiased eyes, I have found I do enjoy this piece more than I thought. I was too busy comparing it to other adaptations of Oz and other film productions of the Halmi duo that I couldn't properly just sit down and enjoy the show. While slow at times, it is a good piece of television that has the rare ability to be it's own work and still pay homage to the original. I'm going to watch Witches of Oz now :-)