After the Wizard

A spoiler light review of After the Wizard should begin with tone, because Hugh Gross understands exactly how this fantasy ought to feel. After the Wizard gains early credibility from Helen Richman, whose presence is balanced by the different rhythm of Sean Orr. The foundation of After the Wizard can be stated simply: A 12 year old Kansas orphan turns to the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman for help during a difficult time. Within its 1h 20m running time, After the Wizard reveals both the benefits and the limits of that disciplined approach.

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The craft of After the Wizard is defined by imagery shaped by emotion, supported by imagery shaped by emotion rather than overwhelmed by decoration. Good Start Productions gives After the Wizard a production framework in which magic with understandable rules can remain connected to story. Made from a United States production context, After the Wizard uses setting and design to clarify mood before dialogue has to explain it. The technical finish of After the Wizard works because image, sound and editing appear to be serving the same immediate purpose.

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At story level, After the Wizard turns Kansas and Scarecrow into the source of its main tension. The role played by Helen Richman becomes the viewer's route through After the Wizard, especially when Tin Woodman begins to alter the situation. L. Frank Baum gives After the Wizard momentum by allowing choices to create consequences instead of treating each scene as isolated information. Even when Things pushes the plot toward familiar ground, After the Wizard remains attentive to what that pressure means for its characters.

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After the Wizard benefits from Hugh Gross being unable to turn workable ingredients into a stable rhythm about what each sequence needs to accomplish. Instead of making every beat equally loud, Hugh Gross lets After the Wizard create contrast between pressure and release. The premise retains appeal even when the finished film struggles throughout After the Wizard, with the strongest decisions feeling connected to character rather than display. It is still fair to say that After the Wizard suffers because explanation repeatedly takes the place of discovery, but the problem remains contained.

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Beneath its plot, After the Wizard is most interested in desire, belonging and the temptation to treat power as a shortcut around grief. That concern becomes visible through Helen Richman, whose choices allow After the Wizard to explore an idea without stopping for a speech. Kansas gives the themes of After the Wizard a concrete dramatic form rather than leaving them abstract. The emotional value of After the Wizard grows whenever Hugh Gross trusts the audience to connect behaviour with the larger question.

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Helen Richman gives After the Wizard its most dependable performance, finding a clear emotional intention beneath the plot. Opposite Helen Richman, Sean Orr brings After the Wizard a contrasting pace that prevents the central relationship from feeling flat. Jordan Van Vranken widens the ensemble of After the Wizard through reactions that suggest a life beyond the immediate scene. Hugh Gross serves the cast of After the Wizard best when a look or pause is allowed to finish before the story moves on.

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Overall, After the Wizard amounts to a missed opportunity rather than a complete failure and should suit fantasy viewers who enjoy invented worlds with a human centre. The combination of Helen Richman, Hugh Gross and imagery shaped by emotion gives After the Wizard a specific identity. Although explanation repeatedly takes the place of discovery in After the Wizard, the film recovers through craft and committed performance. For the audience it understands, After the Wizard offers enough character to remain worthwhile after the immediate plot has faded.