Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Average Rating: 6/10
Reviews Counted: 239
Fresh: 142 | Rotten: 97
It suffers from some tonal inconsistency and a deflated sense of wonder, but Oz the Great and Powerful still packs enough visual dazzle and clever wit to be entertaining in its own right.
Average Rating: 5.1/10
Critic Reviews: 45
Fresh: 15 | Rotten: 30
It suffers from some tonal inconsistency and a deflated sense of wonder, but Oz the Great and Powerful still packs enough visual dazzle and clever wit to be entertaining in its own right.
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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 254,581
Movie Info
Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced
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Cast
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James Franco
Oz, The Wizard -
Mila Kunis
Theodora/Wicked Witc... -
Rachel Weisz
Evanora -
Michelle Williams
Annie/Glinda -
Zach Braff
Frank/Finley, Oz's A... -
Bill Cobbs
Master Tinker -
Joey King
Girl in Wheelchair/C... -
Tony Cox
Knuck -
Stephen R. Hart
Winkie General -
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Bruce Campbell
Winkie Gate Keeper -
Ted Raimi
Skeptic in Audience. -
Tim Holmes
Strongman -
Toni Wynne
Strongman's Wife -
Rob Crites
Firebreather -
William Dick
Front Gate Barker -
Gene Jones
Wild West Barker -
John Lord Booth III
Oz's Tent Barker -
Suzanne Keilly
Concessioner -
Shannon Murray
Girl in Wheelchair's... -
Ralph Lister
Girl in Wheelchair's... -
John Michael Manfred...
Disgruntled Kansas M... -
Robert Stromberg
Disgruntled Kansas M... -
Channing Pierce
Coochie Girl -
Brian Searle
Clown -
Russell Bobbitt
Mr. Baum -
Julie Gershenson
Quadling Greeter -
Daniel Nelson
Quadling Man with Fl... -
T.J. Jagodowski
Quadling Mayor -
John Paxton
Elder Tinker -
Melissa Exelberth
Quadling Woman with ... -
Steve Forbes
Quadling Farmer -
Arnold Agee
Quadling Blacksmith -
Deborah Puette
Quadling Baker -
Julius Kline
Quadling Scarecrow M... -
Theresa Tilly
Quadling Seamstress -
Betsy Baker
Quadling Woman -
Ellen Sandweiss
Quadling Woman -
Isabella Shepard
Quadling Child -
Sasha Reynolds
Quadling Child -
Ja'vonne Cousin
Quadling Child -
Victoria Lurz
Quadling Child -
Dashiell Raimi
Quadling Bugle Boy -
Oliver Raimi
Quadling Drummer Boy -
Brandon Hamilton
Singing/Dancing Munc... -
Stevie "Puppet" Lee
Munchkin Carriage Dr... -
Martin Klebba
Munchkin Rebel -
Danielle Ragland
Female Munchkin Rebe... -
Bart McCarthy
Emerald City Man -
Timothy Patrick Quil...
Emerald City Man -
Nicholas Lindsay-Aba...
Emerald City Boy -
Bill E. Rogers
Emerald City Citizen -
Mia Serafino
Emerald City Citizen -
Mikayla Bouchard
Emerald City Citizen -
Emma Raimi
Emerald City Citizen -
Jay Schwalm
Emerald City Citizen -
Jim Bird
Emerald City Citizen -
Chester Guilmet
Emerald City Citizen -
Jim Moll
Emerald City Citizen -
Danny Hicks
Emerald City Citizen -
Lanika Wise
Emerald City Citizen -
Nellie Ann Pristine-...
Emerald City Citizen -
Jayne Violassi
Emerald City Citizen -
Wendy Cutler
Emerald City Citizen -
Kenneth D. Ciszewski
Emerald City Citizen -
Bob Buck
Emerald City Citizen -
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Oz the Great and Powerful Trailer & Photos
All Critics (239) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (142) | Rotten (97) | DVD (4)
An imaginative mix of live-action and CGI that pays homage to the iconic images and timeless sense of wonder in the classic The Wizard of Oz without being too deferential.
Oz the Great and Powerful is entirely serviceable family entertainment. Problem is, serviceable doesn't quite cut it when you're talking about the magical land of Oz.
Aside from a trio of witches that can hold its own with Eastwick's in the dishiness department, Oz the Great and Powerful is a peculiarly joyless occasion.
Let us take a moment to praise two great and surprisingly powerful characters: a winged monkey and a wee girl made out of china. Because so much human wonder resides in these two creations of make-up, puppetry, digital effects and lovely performances.
The new Oz falls short of the 1939 Oz in charm and innocence, and certainly in songs. But as family entertainment, it's hard to fault such a rapturous spectacle and astute, suspenseful piece of storytelling.
Oz the Great and Powerful somehow manages to be both slavish to its hallowed template (when convenient) and completely tone-deaf to the magic that made it a one-of-a-kind cultural milestone.
This is the kind of movie that doesn't so much rush off the screen as it prances off with its nose turned up in the air.
A marvelously candy-colored and overall-pretty-fun-nothing-great-but-it's-all-right fantasy adventure.
Director Sam Raimi creates a magical experience for viewers in this beautiful and engaging prequel to "The Wizard of Oz."
...Oz the Great and Powerful fares somewhat better than most similarly-themed, geared-at-kids big-budget fare.
It strays so far from the whimsy and joy of the original that you forget the two films are even part of the same universe.
A poorly written film with a vibrant palette that cannot hide the wickedness in its soul.
I may sound like I'm tripping in a field of poppies, but the secret to this film's success seems to be James Franco.
This eye-filling fantasy is an entertaining riff on how the Wizard of that immortal film found his way to Oz.
Thick with director Sam Raimi's gonzo flourishes, but thin on character.
For a movie that looks gorgeous, evokes memories of a cinematic classic and boasts a bundle of star power, Oz the Great and Powerful is oddly flat.
The funny, warm-hearted "Wizard of Oz" prequel "Oz the Great and Powerful" veers far enough from the Yellow Brick Road paved by the original film to avoid dangerous direct comparisons.
It pushes its gospel of modern "magic" - one third science, one third show biz, one third motivational speech - with Disney Channel earnestness.
Raimi's 'Oz' is nothing more than a grand theft of a 74-year-old vision, thinly veiled in over-saturated colors and populated with action-figure friendly characters sure to set the Mouse's cash registers ringing.
True...the odds were stacked against Raimi in his film that has some moments but hardly seems momentous.
big and splashy but tin-eared
Looking backwards in more ways than one.
Stunning visuals, some suprising plot twists, dreadfully mediocre dialogue delivered by a woefully miscast James Franco.
Sam Raimi has managed to recapture the feel and charm of the original 'Wizard of Oz'... and that may be the greatest compliment of all.
The script is the real problem, lacking in humor and wit (not to mention jaunty musical numbers) and emphasizing the type of sensory overload that seems to pass for family entertainment these days.
Raimi tries to go all in, but the update can't match the character of the original
Audience Reviews for Oz the Great and Powerful
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Oz: Fear me not good people of Oz, fear me not. For it is I the great and powerful Wizard of Oz!
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- Girl in Wheelchair/China Girl: Make me walk!
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- Oz: You can have a nice pile of bananas!
- Frank/Finley: Oh, I see, because I'm a monkey I must love bananas!
- Oz: You don't love bananas?
- Frank/Finley: Of course I love bananas, I'm a monkey! Don't be ridiculous!
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- Evanora: I'm not the one who's underestimating her cleverness. Or maybe it's you I'm underestimating. Have you finally joined her side, sister?
- Theodora/Wicked Witch of the West: am on no one's side. You know that. I simply want peace. That's all I ever wanted and the wizard can do that. He's a good man.
- Evanora: What do you know about goodness? Deep down you are wicked!
- Theodora/Wicked Witch of the West: I am not wicked!
- Evanora: I am not wicked!
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- Girl in Wheelchair/China Girl: Why don't you just use this?
- Frank/Finley: It's got a knife
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- Evanora: All it does is take one bite.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| James Franco is getting trashed! | 9 days ago | 95 |
| Guess the Tomatometer | 3 months ago | 81 |
| Am I the only one who thinks this looks terrible? | 2 months ago | 69 |
| Awful Green Screen | 55 days ago | 44 |
| Mila Kunis/ Wicked Witch | 6 months ago | 30 |
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Foreign Titles
- Die fantastische Welt von Oz (DE)
- Oz The Great and Powerful (UK)



Top Critic