Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
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Critics Consensus: 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.
Critics Consensus: 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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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 … More- Rating:
- PG (for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language)
- Genre:
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Directed By:
- Sam Raimi
- Written By:
- L. Frank Baum , Mitchell Kapner , David Lindsay-Abaire
- In Theaters:
- Mar 8, 2013 Wide
- On DVD:
- Jun 11, 2013
- US Box Office:
- $234.9M
Cast
-
James Franco
as Oz -
Mila Kunis
as Theodora/Wicked Witc... -
Rachel Weisz
as Evanora -
Michelle Williams
as Annie/Glinda -
Zach Braff
as Frank/Finley -
Bill Cobbs
as Master Tinker
Related News & Features
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Sam Raimi Manning The Outpost
– Deadline Hollywood Daily
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Critic Reviews for Oz the Great and Powerful
All Critics (243) | Top Critics (48) | Fresh (143) | Rotten (100) | DVD (4)
The twister that comes to whirl Oscar into Oz is so preordained you could find its departure information and flight time from an airport travel board.
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.
While the movie looks great and kicks into satisfying high gear as it heads toward the last act...the tinhorn feeling of the bulk...leaves one yearning for another trip down the yellow brick road-the one first glimpsed by audiences in 1939.
Antithetical to the horror excursions Sam Raimi built his name on, iOz the Great and Powerful is a heartwarming fantasy drenched in opulence.
Just not the best director Sam Raimi is capable of offering his audience...
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.
Audience Reviews for Oz the Great and Powerful
Disney harp on about how this is their movie and how bringing Oz to film was Walt's big idea and only thing he never achieved but this is very much something better. This is a Sam Raimi film, it is a brilliant adaptation of L. Frank Baum's visions of Oz and it works as a companion/homage to the classic Judy Garland 1939 film. I think Raimi got it spot on! He even manages to get the recent popular Theatre version, 'Wicked' in there. This is a project in which it would be hard to please everyone but I can only see minor fault with it. Why the hate I do not understand? Ok, so the CGI is sketchy in places, particularly towards the beginning of the film and the Bruce Campbell cameo wasn't good enough, where the hell was the 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 etc but seriously, I really enjoyed it. James Franco was good (in full Bruce Campbell mode), Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz good also, Michelle Williams I fell in love with all over again and for me, China Girl is my favourite character of the year so far, I loved her. I'm the only one it seems but I loved it!
http://cinephilecrocodile.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/oz-great-and-powerful-dir-sam-raimi.html
Super Reviewer
So much effort was spent on making the surroundings look lovely, so why did the costuming and the special effects look so cheap? Especially Theodora and Glinda's outfits were horrible. The acting left a lot to be desired as well, Rachel Weisz and Bill Cobbs probably being the only ones who didn't make me cringe.
MoreSuper Reviewer
My review echos that of many others: the main Wizard character was an unlikeable womanizer and acted with no real passion or conviction by James Franco. There was no sense of innocence and discovery, except for maybe the little china doll and the cute monkey companion. Also missing were the catchy songs which the Wizard of Oz had.
MoreSuper Reviewer
Oz the Great and Powerful Quotes
- Oz:
- I know I'm not the wizard you expected, but I might be the wizard that you need.
- Oz:
- Fear me not good people of Oz, fear me not. For it is I the great and powerful Wizard of Oz!
- Girl in Wheelchair/China Girl:
- Make me walk!
- 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!
- 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!
- Girl in Wheelchair/China Girl:
- Why don't you just use this?
- Frank/Finley:
- It's got a knife
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