User reviews

Sometimes you hear about how bad a movie is, how the critics hated it, how it failed at the box office, etc. etc. etc. And then you find it in the bargain bin and you decide to see how bad it really is. This was the case with a number of movies (like COWBOYS V ALIENS and that one about the civil war guy sent to Mars) and in some cases (like the two mentioned) they turn out not as bad as people make out. This is the same as OZ THE GREAT AND THE POWERFUL. I watched it with my daughter and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. There was just enough humour, action and a little bit of scary o keep you entertained for the however long it took to watch it. It just goes to prove that you never judge a whatever by its thingy. Now the reverse can also be true (as in the case of AVATAR) as a movie everyone loved can be a piece of crap. So if you are wondering what you are in for if you decide to watch it, I think you are in for a good action adventure. It is not THE WIZARD OF OZ but rather a cross between THE HOBBIT and a Jim Carey movie…..errr…..I think. There are a few scary bits but nothing that would frighten kid over 8. So overall not as bad as it was made out to be and, yep, I would be up for a sequel.

A magician finds himself transported to the magical land of Oz, where witches, flying monkeys and yellow brick roads exist. He is mistaken for the saviour of Oz and must decide whether or not to stay and be king, or leave and find his way home.

I love Sam Raimi, the man and his invented work with a camera are what made me want to get into filmmaking in the first place. So to see him handling big projects like this (and Spiderman) was a joy for me to see. Oz the Great & Powerful is a CGI heavy film that demands a creative eye behind the lens. After his work on big budget films like Spiderman, it seemed like an easy choice for Raimi to be the one behind Oz and for the most part, it works. The films shortcomings keep it from being really magical and memorable, like the original from 39, but Oz has enough whimsy to keep the kids entertained and the adults smiling.

The land of Oz is indeed magical, with vibrant colours around every corner, memorable spots like the poppy fields and the dark forest for us older viewers, but even in saying all that I can't help but feel how fake it all is. This film suffers from the same troubles that plagued Burton's Alice in Wonderland, the visuals, although great for the story, add no sense of realism to the image. I hate overly used CGI in films to the point of noticing the awkward placement of actors in front of the green screen. The first major offender of this is Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, none of the actors made me believe they were in the settings they were. Both Wonderland and Oz have this same feeling.

While I'm getting the negatives out of the way, I must say that what everyone is saying about Mila Kunis is true, she was miscast in this role. I think she was chosen more for her beauty and star power than her acting abilities, which is sad cause it looks like she really is trying here. The story for her character here is a sad one and the second half I think suffers a bit because the threat from her is not really present. I don't really know why I'm tip-toeing around the issue because those who know The Wizard of Oz, know that Dorothy kills one witch with her house and the other with water, leaving Glinda the good witch in a bubble as the saviour. Seeing the Kunis character go in the direction she does didn't really effect me as much as I wanted it to. Consider that the failure of the script more so than the actors. Not enough time is really given to her for her transformation to affect the viewer.

The film opens in black & white and and the transformation to colour had a smile on my face. Despite the "fakeness" of some of the scenes (not all) Raimi does a decent job of not letting the effects overpower the film. Raimi steers the film in the right direction, but it is James Franco's shoulders it has to rest on. He is the type of actor that comes off as not really caring. It works in some films like Pineapple Express and he does manage to turn in some great performances, look at 127 days or Freaks & Geeks for that. Unfortunately I don't know if he has enough charisma and power to command a film like this. At times it looked like he was in the role, other times it felt like he couldn't care. Maybe it's his acting style, I can't really put my finger on it, but clearly Raimi sees something in him because he has worked with him previously on the Spiderman films.

Where the acting does work, marvellously and in every scene is Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. Two polar opposites that look like they actually enjoy the characters and the movie they are in. They elevate the material a bit to make the drama more tangible. Whereas without them I think the film would have fallen more flat. The drama and character choices didn't really bring me into the story. The film didn't feel like it took chances, or tried to have complex situations for the characters. It had mapped out beats, hit them and marched on.

It was nice seeing some nice Raimi touches in the final product. More than 25 years later and I still smile when I see Bruce Campbell getting hit in the face, knowing full well that it is Sam Raimi on the other end of the camera hitting him. Surprisingly, moments did indeed feel Evil Deadish to me, with the flying witches holding out their hands in a deadite possession form. But I digress. Oz is a good film, with weaknesses that bring it down. Raimi and two witches try their best to elevate some bland material and in the end we are left with a film that is neither great, nor memorable....just satisfactory enough.

In 1905, in Kansas, the small-time circus magician Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) is a weak, greedy, selfish and womanizer conman without character. He gives music box to the women that he seduces, and when a strong artist finds that his wife has a box in her belongings, he chases Oz through the circus. Oz flees in a balloon, but a tornado strikes his balloon and he lands on the Land of Oz.

Oscar meets the gorgeous Theodora (Mila Kunis) and she believes that he is the powerful magician from an ancient prophecy that will release her land from the Wicked Witch. Theodora tells that her sister and she are good witches, but the Wicked Witch had killed the king. Now the people are waiting for the magician to be their new king after defeating the witch. Theodora is seduced by Oz and brings him to the City of Emerald. When he sees the king's treasure, he decides to seek out the Wicked Witch and destroy her magic wand to get rid off her and become the king. Oz meets Glinda (Michelle Williams), who is supposed to be the Wicked witch, and soon he learns that Theodora's sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) is the evil one indeed.

Meanwhile Evanora lures he sister that is jealous and uses a spell to turn her into a wicked witch. Oscar learns that he is the only hope for the inhabitants of Oz that believe that he is a powerful magician and his only chance to defeat Evanora and Theodora is using illusion since he has no magic power.

"Oz the Great and Powerful" is an entertaining fantasy movie, with beautiful special effects and great cast. The beginning in black and white turns to bright colors when Oz reaches the magic kingdom and the images are wonderful. It takes too long for the unethical lead character to redeem and become a good man. For viewers that enjoy fantasy movies, "Oz the Great and Powerful" is a highly recommended movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Oz: Mágico e Poderoso" ("Oz: Magic and Powerful")

Oz the Great and Powerful is, although admittedly very imperfect, a grand, colourful and often immersive adventure.

As usual, Sam Raimi's energy shines in the action and horror, with the Dutch tilts and sudden zoom ins bringing a sense of camp and unease into the tension. The flying monkeys brought back the trauma from the original in such an overkill fashion where their terror is mostly concealed and portrayed in silhouette until around the halfway mark. James Franco as Oz was a surprisingly good fit, with him able to pull off portraying a sympathetic con-man. Although portrayed mostly through CGI, the land of Oz looks dazzling most of the time, and then there are a few times where it looks distractingly too glamorous and over-polished. Make-up and costumes are mostly on point, harkening back to the aesthetic of the original with more modern capabilities, although the same could be said with a lot of other aspects of the film.

Although the CGI is used to great effect in many ways throughout the movie, it eventually ends up feeling a bit overused, especially in the final battle between two of the witches. The story revolving around how certain characters from the original film behaved before the events of that film ranged from feeling plausible to almost downright silly. Oz as the con-man was a good connection to the deceptive yet humble wizard in the original, yet the portrayal of the wicked Witch of the West as a heartbroken, temper-tamtrum-a-minute villain with an obsessive relationship to the wizard just doesn't feel like it matches up with the purely maniacal and unhinged character from the original. Each of the romantic aspects of the movie come off as weird fan-fiction where I feel like it just doesn't work. Sometimes a few of the actors looked like their heart wasn't really in it either.

Overall, though not particularly an amazing prequel, it's a technically impressive one with a good cast, decent story and great direction.

Prior to watching Oz the Great and Powerful i considered it to be one of many remakes, prequels and sequels that have been in vogue in the past years. Even television hasn't been immune to the trend with Once upon a Time retelling classical fairy tales. And when the movie started, it was clear that it deals with the conflict between good and evil. Despite all the obstacles the good guys were facing, we were convinced that they will prevail.

However, there were surprises along the way, apart from the twists in the plot. The story is in no way sleazy or boring, as it was the case in similar movies, for example, Mirror Mirror (2012) or Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). Numerous references to The Wizard of Oz (1939) with Judy Garland in the lead role were probably aiming at generations that grew up with it. I assume that for those not acquainted with Oz books, especially younger viewers, Oz the Great and Powerful might be just another fantasy thriller.

There is nothing really groundbreaking in this movie, yet it is pleasant to watch. For a moment it will make you believe that a happy ending is an inevitable thing in life.

The cast is well picked and offers a solid performance, including the most minor characters.

"Oz: The Great and Powerful" is the prequel to 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" that I was frankly not at all surprised by.

The story is about a circus magician named Oz (James Franco) who, through the fantastic opening segment, we as the audience are told is a con-man earning a living fooling people. From that we follow the typical Disney storyline that, while it is oh so predictable, it is also extremely enjoyable (at least to me).

The cast did a decent job, although I have to say James Franco knocked it out of the park, delivering a breathtaking performace that really made me care for his character.

For the most part this movie looks astonishing, utilizing a lot of CGI to create this mystical and magical world, and, though it is noticeable at points, I was never really unimmersed from what was going on.

Sam Raimi directed this movie and it shows, I really enjoyed it's look, albeit some strange cuts here and there.

What really let's this movie down is it's script, being clearly aimed at children. This doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it because there's definitely enjoyment to be had but it does mean there will be some eye rolls from time to time.

Overall "Oz: The Great and Powerful" is a fun experience that I look forward to seeing again and, if you have kids, definitely watch this one with them. Trust me, you'll enjoy it!

B-

While "Oz the Great and Powerful" certainly continues the evolution of so-called "children's movies," it was a classic Disney fairytale. There was a kingdom - the Land of Oz, there were munchkins, and there were witches and a wizard and a great big pile of gold.

However, it seemed as though it might be slightly scarier than the usual Disney movie for younger audiences, what with the frightening witches and shrieking winged-primates, but the plot was classic fairytale action. Many complaints about this movie were "the plot was predictable." Of course the plot was predictable - it's a fairytale. If you wanted your wildest expectations denied at every turn, go see Oblivion.

Fans of fairytale stories don't read the books or go see the movies because they expect to be shocked by an original, psychologically thrilling scheme. It is the alluring tale of a prince and princess, a king and queen; a dreamy adventure to whisk us away from the monotony of our possibly dreary routine.

The land through which Oscar (the wizard, Oz) traveled was brilliantly textured and thought up. It was especially pleasant to behold, and added greatly to the fairytale atmosphere of the movie. There was the classic yellow brick road, the dangerous poppy field, and the wicked dark forest. Along with this, the movie starts in black and white, then transitions into color to emphasize the nature of the fairytale. I found the effect wonderful.

James Franco is fantastic as the "great and powerful wizard," while Mila Kunis gives a surprising and vibrant life to her character. In hindsight, the acting seemed a bit cheesy at times, but then again...what does one expect, watching a Disney fairytale? It would have been more surprising, perhaps, to have seen an un-cheesy script (what is the word for "un-cheesy?" I've not a clue).

I award this movie a 7 out of 10 because on a somewhat troubled night, it provided ample distraction. This is a movie that will satisfy the dreamer's dreams.

If you're not a dreamer, I'm not quite sure why you're reading a review about a Disney fairytale. Be gone with you.

Greetings from July, 2017. I wrote this review right after Oz the Great and Powerful came out, and now that a few years have passed and I can see a bit more clearly, I'm more than a little embarrassed at my effusive praise of this film. I haven't seen the movie since it was in theaters. I think I'd still enjoy it today, but I'd also find it easier to admit that it's not that great. I like Franco and Kunis, but they weren't the best choices for these roles. Also, it's disappointing that Disney felt the urge to make this an unofficial prequel to the 39 movie rather than basing the story more on the books. I thought about deleting my review entirely, but for the time being, I think I'll just leave it the way it is with the addition of this admission that I'm now able to confess that perhaps I don't love it as much as I originally thought I did. After this paragraph, what follows is my original review:

I feel a bit sorry for L. Frank Baum. In his lifetime he wrote fourteen Oz books- in terms of popularity, they were essentially the Harry Potter series of the early 20th century- however, nowadays, if you ask the average person on the street about Oz, the first and only thing that will come to mind will be the 1939 classic film- a film that is not even entirely faithful to the source material, I might add. I love that movie as much as the next person, but there's so much more to Oz than Judy Garland and ruby slippers.

Anybody who dares to tackle Oz as a subject faces an uphill battle, fighting against the general public's cherished memories of what is erroneously believed to be the one true version of that story. In an even broader sense, any movie made today must endure an increasingly jaded and judgmental movie-going public.

I confess I had my own doubts about this film, but those were abolished from the stylish opening credits onwards. I hasten to add that if I watch a movie based on a property I've loved in the past and it fails to meet my expectations, I won't delude myself into thinking it was good when it wasn't, nor will I be afraid to say that I was disappointed. I'm very happy that I don't have to do that in this case. "Oz the Great and Powerful" has heart and humor in abundance, and it is also a treat for the eyes, to coin a phrase. I tend to dismiss 3D as a gimmicky fad, yet was quite impressed by its employment here.

It's not a perfect movie (what is?). In all honesty, I've probably given it a slightly higher score than it merits, but in to be fair, there are also those who have given it a far lower score than it deserves. Anyone who gives this film a single star should check out the 1969 kiddie matinée version of "The Marvelous Land of Oz" or last year's "The Witches of Oz" if they want to see what a truly dismal Oz movie really looks like.

The part where the movie fell a bit flat for me was the "woman scorned" plot element. I've no dispute with this film's explanation for how the Wicked Witch became wicked, but it was I couldn't help feeling a trifle bored by clichéd manner that storyline was executed. I hate myself for it, but while listening to the fairly hackneyed dialogue between Evanora and Theadora, for the briefest of moments, I found myself almost wishing that I was watching a "Wicked" film instead.

Each member of the cast did a fine job in my book, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite character of the movie: China Girl. No one but the most hard-hearted of cynics could fail to be charmed and moved by that character. I could easily see China Girl having a career extending beyond this film the way Jiminy Cricket and Tinkerbell have had in the past.

Life seems so unrelentingly stressful these days that escapism is more vital than ever, but in my case, the cinema doesn't always provide as much of a refuge from the outside world as it once did. Often as I'm sitting watching a film, no matter how good it may be, the weight of my troubles will come crashing down on me and I have to fight the urge to bolt from the theater screaming. However, I managed to spend two hours completely captivated by "Oz the Great and Powerful" without my problems intruding on my mind once. It may not mean much to everyone, but by those standards alone, I'd consider this movie a roaring success.

When I first saw the teaser trailer, I was very excited but as time went on and started listening to people's opinions I got a little scared to see this film. Then I read some early reviews on here and was really shaking in my boots but I saw it anyways to form my own opinion. I really enjoyed this movie. I also went in expecting nothing so I believe that made me enjoy it more.

I was always curious as to how The Wizard came to be in power if he was a fraud, so I was anxious to see how the story played out. I enjoyed the way the acting and theme was reminiscent of the original movie. James Franco wasn't terrible to watch but I'm convinced that someone else could have played the role much better. But I think the award goes to Mila, Michelle and Rachel for great performances as the main witches in our story. All of their performances stole the show. Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz especially.

Also, I'm always interested in costuming and the set design and they both were beautiful to watch. Overall, the movie was a bit corny but it needs to be in order to capture some of the essence of the old classic. Most of the funny parts were not really funny but I'm thankful for the characters "Finley" and "China Doll" because they saved the film from a lack of comedy. I think everyone's story played out perfectly and although, in the end, you know what's going to happen to it's enjoyable to watch it play out. I would recommend for anyone to go see this movie, it's definitely an enjoyable film. Now, I'm hoping that they remake the Wizard of Oz because I want to see the story play out again.

Since Oz The Great And Powerful is a big budget special-effects film by Walt Disney Pictures it's been advertised for a long time. The trailer made me interested, and I was looking forward to watching the film. In the interviews director Sam Raimi and the cast mentioned that the film was made with 3D cameras. The 3D is used very well, but it's also clear from the beginning that a lot of effort was put into making the film look dazzling. The computer-generated imagery is very impressive. Not everything looks perfect but the CGI characters look almost realistic. Of note is the little China Girl voiced well by Joey King, the girl who played a young Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The China Girl is a visual wonder and one of the most interesting characters. The whole cast is solid. James Franco, playing Oscar "Oz" Diggs, smiles a bit too many times but he's charming and compassionate in the role. Rachel Weisz as Evanora is beautiful and cunning while Mila Kunis sure can cackle in her striking costume as Theodora. Michelle Williams was a good choice to play Glinda because she comes off as well-meaning, knowing and sincere. Although well cast the film still suffers because there a a bit too many characters. It would have been better if there were two witches instead of three. The script, written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner, should have been better too. American author L. Frank Baum wrote thirteen novel sequels after The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, so it shouldn't have been a problem to pick material from the rich mythology that he created. Raimi plays it safe by making the film similar to Victor Fleming's great The Wizard Of Oz (1939). The film's opening sequence is presented in black-and-white, transitioning into color when the protagonist arrives in Oz. But Raimi is an excellent director so there's no shortage of spectacle. Danny Elfman composed a forgettable score, but at least Mariah Carey's song Almost Home is a return to form for the singer-songwriter. Despite its shortcomings Oz The Great And Powerful is still a wondrous entertaining fantasy adventure that adults and especially children will enjoy. I recommend it.

Oz the Great and Powerful is Disney's prequel to the 1939 classic movie The Wizard of Oz, and it is set 20 years before the tale of Dorothy Gale's (Judy Garland) journey into the Land of Oz. The movie characters are based on The Oz series by L. Frank Baum.

The movie is delightful and Disney paid homage to the old classic by starting the introduction of the movie's main character Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) in black and white and the moment he stepped into Oz the movie transformed to color, just like that of the 1939 classic which started in sepia tinted black and white, and the moment Dorothy got to Oz the movie transformed into colored.

I enjoyed the colorful bit of the movie I do have to give kudos to the story, it was interesting and involving, I found myself drawn in and the idea that showed that The Wizard of Oz was first truly a con man, a con man of mere magic tricks who travels with a circus, until one day he found himself in the Land of Oz where they await their savior a Wizard so great that he will be able to defeat the witch sisters.

Here our hero comes into Oz as a con man and we get to see him metamorphose into the wizard we know him to be in the The Oz Series.

The movie did face some hiccups during production, some of which were due to the cast having other roles that they had to leave to go fulfill, and then there was the legal rights as Warner Bros owned all the rights to the elements used in the 1939 classic such things like: the color of the wicked witch of the west (here her shade of green differs from the 1939 classic), her mole was not present, the yellow brick road was also nowhere to be seen, although there is a brick road.

Director Sam Raimi and James Franco worked together in the Spiderman trilogy where Franco played Osborne. Here Raimi did an impressive work coordinating the events that took place in this film.

This movie did make reference to the characters in the old classic, like a lady Oz was seeing told him she is getting married to a man whose last name was Gale (Dorothy Gale), we see the creation of the scarecrow, we get to see the men who created the Tin Man and we saw how the cowardly lion became coward when he got frightened away by Oz.

My take on this movie is that it is fun and a nice watch for those who have a mind that is ready to fly.

www.lagsreviews.com

(2013) Oz- the Great And Powerful FANTASY/ ACTION

Directed by Sam Raimi who seems to do nothing except make CGI movies these days. This alternate version also from L. Frank Baum is something I had never seen before on screen, and it's defined as not a remake which the principles are the same as the 1939 version but to me still an original which regards Oz played by James Franco a self absorbed con artist with inspirations of Houdini accidentally getting himself caught in a tornado similar to the original 1939 version. He's then get swept into the "Oz- like" universe. And almost instantly assumes the identity of a mythical wizard who's supposed to save this world from evil in general. On his journey he first meets up with a young witch Theodora (Mila Kunis) and then an English talking monkey with wings voiced by Zach Braff then her sister Evanora played by Rachael Weis. Upon looking at children author L. Frank Baum's actual works, it appears he's written a whole slew of Oz-like stories some short- some not. And anyone comparing it to the popular 1939 Wizard Of Oz are too bent on just the one version even though the author himself has written many others like it. Entertaining family movie but at times the CGI sometimes look slightly off but the way how the movie is constructed and unfolds itself makes the experience to be authentic. The "Bone" China doll is another thing that can be admired voiced by Joey King- it would've been nice if her character wasn't CGI but perhaps a stop motion animated bone china doll. But regardless it's these "new" characters as well as the approach that made this film captivating to watch wondering how it's going to come about.

I haven't read other reviews of this film. I went in only with a desire to see an origin story for the Wizard of Oz and expected little. That said, this was an enjoyable movie that has plenty of thrills and a surprising and fun style.

James Franco does a convincing enough job as the wizard but even more interesting is the development of the wicked witch. The performances were average to good (Zach Braff in human form was a little distracting but he did well as a monkey). The special effects sort of parallel those of "The Wizard of Oz".

This isn't an Earth shattering breakthrough in cinema, it's just an enjoyable flick. If you have any desire to see a fun film and you select this one, you could do a lot worse!

An interesting film, a sort of modern prequel to the movie/book, not, as I had thought originally, on one of the other books by Baum. Probably it's most interesting feature was the interesting backstory to the "wicked witch:" Theodora, betrayed by the Wizard, who instead connects with Glinda. The most striking thing for us was the 3D, which we watched with our tv/glasses, for the first time in months. Seb got really scared, which is surprising, but only because he thought the bad people would win!

Vibrant colors, innovative use of 3D techniques, and good balance of comedy and suspense make Oz the Great and Powerful on my surprise "likes" for the season. Keeping true to the original 1939 Wizard of Oz, while creating a new vision of his own, Sam Raimi pulled off a rare prequel gem. No one breaks out in song, the sidekicks are surprisingly helpful with Oz's character development, and with a well written script as well, this story brings to life a new side of Oz that add clout to the classic. This film is certainly worth a watch. They managed to keep away from over the top characters, 3D graphics that jump out at you around every corner, and pointless fan pandering. There are several settle hints that pay homage to the original and tie the two together.

The casting was spot on. James Franco plays that witty conman who becomes Oz. Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis bring the wicked witch sisters to life. Michelle Williams gives Glinda a delicate demeanor while staying true to her cleverness and understand. A character that I feel doesn't get as much attention as he should is Finley the monkey. He is voiced by Zach Braff whom also has a small part as Frank. This character spends most of the film with Oz and is very much a part of the wizards overall character arc. He does a great job with the roll and certainly deserves to be noted.

On a personal note, I thought this film was going to be over the top with bad characters and a director that would TRY to emulate the original. I was pleasantly surprised to be taken over the rainbow to a new Oz with exciting creatures, unexpected towns, and a story that, in the end, brought me back home to Kansas. (OMG… Help! How did I get here? I went into a theater in Florida and came out in Kansas? Wait… Is this Kansas the state, or city… Oh no… Not again! Nuts!!!!)

Funny, entertaining and is worth catching it in the movies but, it is not as great as many expected.

Visually this movie is great. The first act is entirely black and white in a 16mm format that is too small for the big screen. What makes it so great is that director Sam Raimi decides that the location set was going to look just like the original Wizard of Oz (1939), fake. So it feels like if you were looking at a movie produced on the 40's. Then, as we enter to Oz, the image expands and fit to the screen with the brighter colors. And so the journey begins worthy of an attraction on Disney World.

The computer effects looks as it should look in a movie that cost $200 millions. Very much of the technique used on them make you desire for once seen it on 3D. So I'm safe to say that this movie should be quite an experience in IMAX 3D. Of course, nothing looks real. But that's the point, is a magic land, the creatures in there are not suppose to look real but magical.

The cast job is very hard to appreciate. Oz is a man that lies for a living, so every time he is in public he acts like if he were on stage. The problem is that Oz is always on public, so he is always trying to hide his true nature. So it is hard to say if James Franco is doing a terrific job or if he is doing his greatest performance yet playing a dude that is playing a dude. The same happens with Rachel Weisz. She is a witch and you can't tell when she is doing a bad job or if the movie required that she acts like that so everybody can tell when she is faking.

Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis are the ones that bring some serious acting to the screen. Of course their characters are not serious, but at least they act in public like they act in private so you don't have to think which scenes were good acting because all of them are. Is the same with the voice of Zach Braff (he is the flying monkey), his character stay natural all the time.

The biggest defect of this movie is that runs for 130 minutes and you can feel every minute of it. It is not boring, but either is this epic adventure that is so cool that time flies and you don't even notice. The reason why this happens maybe is because it last more than it should. It is a good story but, maybe could have tell it in less time and leave the audience wanting more, not thinking "God, this movie is quite long". So, if the 1939 movie runs 100 minutes with songs in it, this movie was suppose to run the same time without the singing.

The most memorable moment of the movie is when the Evil Witch appears; green, with the big nose, the pointing hat, the black dress and the broom. She has an entrance worthy of post Pirate of the Caribbean's Disney. On the other side, you may hate the character of Oz, the guy is a jerk.

It's good to catching this movie just for fun. It is better than Alice in Wonderland of 2010 so if you liked that one, then you might love this one. All is left to say is that Disney already ordered the sequel but Sam Raimi said that he will not be the one behind it.

I am not sure what some people were expecting when seeing this film. However the family and I really enjoyed this movie. It was very heart warming, funny, thrilling, and an overall joy for everyone. The family sat and discussed this movie for hours afterwards over dinner. I personally was glad that Johnny deep did not do this movie, simply because I would be sitting there comparing him to jack sparrow. I would recommend is movie to friends I with children. Do yourself a favor and please do not try and compare this to wizard of oz. just look at the movie as a fresh new adventure. I also recommend to get your tickets early to this film. The theater was quite full when I went to see it with the family.

"Oz the Great and Powerful" deals with the themes of believing and how powerful faith can be. The story handles the theme very well with clever writing and homages to the older film (keep in mind that this is a prequel to the actual story and not the 1939 classic film by MGM). Sam Raimi does a good job of directing the film. He mixes humor with the more semi-serious moments. There are moments of excitement that gets the blood going and legitimately scary moments that make you jump out your seat. However, the story mainly in the middle gets a bit confused on what it is about and what's happening. Along with that, certain things feel a bit rushed particularly when Oz arrives in Oz.

The acting and characters for the most part are decent. Oz, James Franco, is pretty much the scene stealer as one would hope from a movie titled "Oz." Franco brings a lot of charisma and charm to the character along with being relatable. He sometime goes a bit over the top, but when he puts on his big cheesy smile almost everything is forgiven. Mila Kunis is okay in the movie at best, but half way through she become not so good. Her character feels forced and any emotion she tries to convey comes off as trying too hard. There's a flying monkey and little porcelain girl that bring a lot of the heart to the film. They're incredibly likable and help show off some of the humanity in Oz.

I particularly like the visual effects. The backgrounds are well detailed and immerses the viewer into the world. There are some moments were you can tell it's CGI and the character don't blend well with the background, but they don't appear very often. The musical score by Danny Elfman is effective, but not too memorable until the third act.

Overall, "Oz the Great and Powerful" isn't great, but it is still pretty good. The special effects are great, but have some spotty moments, the score my Elfman is solid, and James Franco's performance steals the show. However, there are some minor story issues in the first two acts and the acting by the rest of the cast, especially Mila Kunis, leaves more to be desired. The final act of the film is spectacular though and sums up everything great about the film incredibly well. I give it an incredibly high 3.5/5, acting could use some work, but Franco and the third act make this a really good experience.

The movie did a great job of reminding those of us who watched The Wizard of Oz, as to what was done before, vs now in movie making. I enjoyed this movie because I was a fan of the original. My husband, however, who never liked the Wizard of Oz, found this one so boring he fell asleep. He did later, however say that the special effects were good. He did complain that Glinda needed a wand, and the evil witches did not, but alas, that was from the original movie, and so, the creator of this stayed true.

The only thing holding this back from being a 10 was Franco. He's not that great of an actor. In fact, he's pretty dry. At times I actually saw true acting in his skills, and other times he was just over the top. The rest all seemed to be good though. I loved the casting for Rachel Wiesz. What an excellent job that was! I would not have expected her for that role, and was totally surprised. Overall, it's a true to form Wizard of Oz, The Great and powerful wizard of our childhood memories.

The scenery and the concept were in line with the original series, and yet at the same time they still managed to make this a tad bit original. Good job.