Oz the Great and Powerful Reviews

im quite blown away by how disappointed i was in this film. most of the actors were poor, the dialogue stale and uninspired, and the effects were far too cartoonish. the relationships between the characters never really felt real, and the journey never felt quite meaningful or epic. this film was not hateable, but didn't do anything well either.

James Franco, you literally and figuratively big-headed sonuvabitch.

The 3D IMAX does indeed enhance the film's scrumptious hues and visual illusions. Oz the land is beautiful and alive, and this prequel provides a triumphant backstory of Oz the man's journey from hackey carnival trickster to great and powerful wizard (with the help of FOR SCIENCE trickery). I also enjoy the clever parallels of Kansas versus Oz characters that pay homage to the original film. Zach Braff is adorable as the thankless assistant cum animated monkey valet, and young Joey King is all glassy eyes and bated breath as the Girl in Wheelchair cum China Girl.

Raimi's idiosyncratic sense of humor doesn't mesh quite well with L. Frank Baum's tale. Unnecesary long and visually unimpressive, still it manages to have some wit and heart.

Disney's newest venture is well made but proves to be mostly just a money grab. Raimi handles his material well but adds no unique spark to a film wrought with few surprises and few personal touches.

Sam Raimi and James Franco are back together again! and at no loss. Returning to the land of Oz to tell the wizards story, they spare no expense in making this their own, yes some of its familiar; Munchkins, the Emerald City, Flying Monkeys. But the unique design lets Raimi roam free in the land of Oz, and make a spectacular family friendly journey. The cast is well rounded, with a leading man out of James Franco creating a very new visage, one he rarely dives in to. Though the acting can at times feel overly cheesy, this movie is in no way near bad, and I'd definitely suggest it on your own or with family

After delivers a fun superhero movie in 'Spiderman' and a great horror in 'Drag Me To Hell', Sam Raimi has decreasing in his quality for making a good movie, and this what I believe after I watch 'Oz The Great and Powerful'.. As the whole package movie, 'Oz' delivers a fun and imaginable world to its audiences with stunning effects that IMHO would be a great 3D watch.. James Franco as the Oz himself successfully delivers a quite enjoyable performance as a bad boy turns into a good boy who is a savior.. While the presence of three beautiful lady : Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams makes the movie more enjoyable again to be watched for their beauty.. The story itself is really simple and doesn't that great but as an entertaining movie I must say that 'Oz' has been an enjoyable watch for its audiences..

An exciting rollercoaster of a prequel with endless welcome references to the original movie and tons of more adventure and exuberant visuals that look quite nice in 3D - and it also aims for a broader public, being just as pleasant to adults as it is to children and munchkins out there.

I presume this film must be made up of various bits n bobs from Baum's sequel books as I don't believe there was a prequel story/book written. All his stories were set after the original 'Wizard of Oz' so I'm guessing this must be a lot of artistic license?.

Back to Oz we go, for the third time, question is, is this adventure as good as the previous two?. The first is a silver screen classic, the second was a dark but highly imaginative twist with superb characters. This time we re-enter Oz guided by horror maestro Sam Raimi...and boy can you see it.

First impressions were simply, they're copying the original, starting off in black n white then bursting into colour once we reach Oz, cute, but its been done. The main thing you notice is obviously the visuals, upon touchdown in Oz we are greeted with (as expected) huge splashes of colour and shiny things, a glistening Emerald City, colourful animals, clear blue skies and perfect fairytale costumes.

I must admit they have recreated the look of the classic original nicely. The yellow brick road looks great, the familiar scenery of fields and wooden fences hark back nicely to when we saw 'Dorothy' walk past them and we have all the chirpy quirkiness of the 'Munchkins'. I won't deny there are some lovely landscape's on display, rainbow skylines and the weird and wonderful flowers n fauna of Oz dazzling your optical senses. It just a damn shame the CGI is so utterly average throughout with awful bluescreen/artificially superimposed actors against it.

What's so stupid is the fact 'Oz' lands in the land of Oz and within five minutes he's been brought to the Emerald City, hailed as the new King and sent off on this mission. Everyone thinks he's this wizard sent to save Oz and without a doubt the King. So 'The wizard' (played poorly by Franco) goes off on his mission to destroy the evil witch and picks up a few odd friends along the way to help him. An annoying, flying, bad CGI monkey and a sweet yet gradually annoying little girl doll made of china...nice idea, nicely envisioned, but her lippy personality isn't funny.

Kinda sounds familiar no? regular dude dumped in a strange fantasy world, now he's gotta save that world. 'Army of Dar'...naah couldn't be.

The other thing that got me was the fact Kunis' character falls for 'Oz' the minute she sees him. Then when he goes off to find the evil witch she gets all upset, so much so that when she finds out he's flirting with the other witch he's suppose to destroy, she turns to evil!. So she's a bit delicate then! falls in love, gets heart broken and turns to the dark side all within a few hours of meeting some guy!.

To be honest I really don't think Raimi was the right choice to direct this film. It swings from being quite sweet in places as it should be, to some outright soft horror moments! Raimi clearly not being able to resist his 'Evil Dead' days. The flying baboons are pretty darn scary for kids if you ask me, since when did the evil witches flying hordes get some monstrous?!!. Then there's Weisz's ending...whoa! oh and graveyards? really?.

The acting is also dreadful, yes I realise its a sweet fable but come on, Franco is terrible and totally miscast (still at least its a change from seeing Depp who I'm sure was gonna pop up at any moment). The guy has no charm no wonder and he's not funny, he plays it too snively for this character, he's unlikeable.

Kunis is made up waaaay too much for the green skinned evil witch, she's sexy for pete's sake! the evil witch ain't suppose to give the adult male audience a bonner. Plus I gotta say she seems really really violence obsessed here, wanting to tear her enemies apart and make the yellow brick road run red with the blood of the goodies...jesus! kids film here. The only people who actually look the part and put in a good show are all the extras playing 'Munchkins' 'Quadlings' 'Tinkers' and 'Winkie Guards', miles better than the main cast, I guess.

I think the problem here is the film can't quite decide what direction to go in. Its not entirely an innocent sweet musical like the original and its not as character driven or imaginative as 'Return to Oz'. Being a typical modern film they just can't help themselves with over the top effects, silly action, the odd explosion, lots of talk of death and killing and way too much hokey sterile CGI. The film even turns into 'Star Wars' at the end with a dark side force lighting battle.
On top of this the film seems to border on being almost a parody of the material source, too much of a comedy, too much mockery of the material eg. when the Munchkins try break out in song 'Oz' shouts at them to stop as if to say 'lets not go down the soppy wet musical route'.

Its not as bad as the Burton 'Alice in Wonderland' fiasco but it sure as hell comes close CGI wise. On the whole Oz does look nice when using real sets and real objects but that's it. Like other sequels/prequels of old franchises they manage to recreate the look of the old films brilliantly, but the rest of the content is just very average and merely shows how good the older films are. There are now talks of a sequel! how can there be a sequel?!.

'Oz the Great and Powerful' had some perks that successfully kept me gripped throughout through this lengthy yet fun ride. Featuring visual effects that were a true highlight of this film. I felt that the majority of performances in this film were rather strong, particularly James Franco and especially Mila Kunis in the second half. There were certain moments in the film that I didn't expect or were obvious yet clever nods to the Classic. For Sam Raimi fans, Bruce Campbell once again makes a sneaky cameo, do your best in searching for his moment. 'Oz the Great and Powerful' does have something to it that stops it from being perfect. However, I don't know what that exactly is. At the same time, it doesn't stop this from being a wonderful treat for both kids and fans of the original.

Sam Raimi's "Oz the Great and Powerful" was a complete snooze-fest for me. It has barely any story and almost every joke falls flat. And there are MANY attempts at humor. Raimi really tried hard to provide laughs and fails almost every time.

James Franco, as usual, gives a tone-deaf performance, never seeming able to figure out what's funny and what isn't, what's poignant and what isn't. The women do a much better job; that is, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, and especially Mila Kunis. They provide the only source of fun and energy. A huge disappointment.

Unimpressed. I mean really, it's not particularly funny, entertaining or emotional. The art direction fluctuated between tacky and excessive turning the whole ordeal into a very contrive experience.

Maybe it was the script but Franco's character was thinly sculpted, every time he opened his mouth I couldn't quite tell what he was suppose to be delivering in terms of theme or emotion.

I really wish Monkey and China Doll played bigger roles in the long run like Dorothy's companions. Everything they did ended up seeming so frivolous and Williams didn't look or feel much like Glinda.

The only thing that made any sort of impression on me was Kuniz's performance as Theodora, (I guess I'm a sucker for broken hearts) otherwise I just didn't care! The themes were so boring and delivered through such cliche vehicles. Many characters, even the premise had such promise but were completely squandered in its charmless witless execution.

Raimi disappoints.

Well it only took about 75 years but someone's finally managed to swing a real companion piece to the iconic and most glorious original masterwork fantasy piece. Kudos to Raimi and company who manage to cooly tightrope walk between invention and admiration, lovingly fashioning this heartfelt Valentine to, for, and from fans of the first, and a whispered secret encouragement to those uninitiated (unimaginable). And congratulations to Mila Kunis who courageously tries on some of the biggest shoes in movie history.

When I saw the trailer I thought it was going to be like Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland but the cinematography was so much more superior. This is a perfect prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz. There is a lot of symmetry and parallels like the original movie. Moving from black and white pictures to glorious colour when Oscar arrives in Oz. The twister, the witches, the munchins, the Emerald City are all there. Fantastic cast, storyline and magical moments. My favourite scene is when Oscar lands in the water and the flowers open to welcome him. It's like paradise.

Oz The Great and Powerful is a Sam Raimi film in almost every sense, which means it is technically marvelous, funny, and at times pretty darn frightening, but also uneven, occasionally awkward, and better enjoyed with low expectations. It lacks the sense of wonder that made the 1939 Wizard of Oz such a phenomenon in its time. However, there are some interesting new characters like a winged monkey and a china girl, and the main cast is good enough to keep you entertained. The adventure plot - a fairly average man gets caught up in extraordinary circumstances that will help him find and unleash his inner hero - is rather standard and never really ventures into unfamiliar territory; at least the design of Oz is filled with plenty of homages to the original film. All in all, this is a decent fantasy that neither celebrates nor tarnishes the reputation of L.Frank Baum's classic series.

A prequel to what could possibly be called one of the biggest movie classic of all times is not exactly something you deem necessary. Fact is that there are more stories set in the land of Oz, so why not adapt them with today's technical possibilities? Turns out the technical aspect of the film is indeed mind-blowing. No 3D film since Avatar had this much depth, colors, in your face-effects and even a short water ride. But additionally it's always a good sign for great special effects when artificial creatures like the flying money or the china girl manage to steal your heart. Certainly, the story of the selfish con man who hopes to get rich in the fantastic land he's blown into, but finds his courage and heart during the voyage is not exactly new. But it's told in such a charming, lovable and entertaining way that it's hard to find flaw in this film unless you really want to. The plot may be a bit simplistic for the arthouse viewers and some scenes a tad too scary for the little ones, but everyone between that should have a good time with this. A couple of times director Sam Raimi even manages to insert hints at his horror film past. Fans of Army of Darkness will know what I mean. It's particularly charming how many details pay homage to the original film and how much love went into the making of this. Of course the acting falls a bit short when compared to the wonderful landscapes and creatures, but is still decent enough to make you care for the characters. The fun showdown celebrates the magic of (movie) illusion and leaves you with the desire to maybe visit Oz again after this.

An entertaining enough take on a timeless classic.
Strong cast, even with Francos goofy grin, Kunis isnt 100% convincing as the wicked witch but Weiz is strong enough to carry them both through.
Enjoyable and amusing take on Oz.

Visually, it's absolutely stunning. The story is what suffers a little bit. I also feel like at times James Franco can be both the best AND worst actor I've ever seen. Some scenes are so awkward, even overly rehearsed, while others make you believe he's the character he's playing. Ever since he started cooking omelettes and acting like a goof in 'Spider-Man 3', he just isn't the same to me.

Disney is still vying for a film to capture the success of Burton's Wonderland (and with news of a sequel, the results are obviously not good), and I approve of the visual choices and Sam Raimi as the director. With closer look at the trailer however, there are nuanced but crucial flaws that cause it to ultimately lack the appeal of Burton's Wonderland- it's visuals are certainly ostentatious but seem to lack the dark and skillful edges of Burton's own palette that gave it such appeal. It also tries to focus on its supporting cast, which is smart, but isn't successful- while audiences love to see Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter in makeup with gleefully luminescent Cheshire cats, James Franco, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams aren't them as talented as they may be. They really should've focused more on the witch- we all love a good villain.

Worries about it's marketing aside, I'll go see it.

Usually when I'm watching a bad movie I have to stop and think where did things go so wrong, where did the wheels fall off, what choice lead to the disaster I am watching play out onscreen. In the case of Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful, a Wizard of Oz prequel that pretty much hovers over the cusp of bad for its entire 130 minutes, I have to stop and think, "How could this movie ever have gone right?" I don't think it could have, at least not with this script, this cast, and the edict from the Mouse House to keep things safe and homogenized, smothered in CGI gumbo and scrubbed clean of any real sense of venerable movie magic.

In 1905 Kansas, the magician Oz (James Franco) is used to bilking country folk out of their meager earnings. He's a con man and runs afoul with a strong man in his own traveling circus. He makes a hasty escape in a hot air balloon and, thanks to a coincidental tornado, is whisked away to the Land of Oz. The people have long been told that a wizard would come and rescue them from the tyranny of the wicked witch. Theodora (Mila Kunis) and Evanora (Rachel Weisz), sisters controlling the Emerald City, task Oz with killing the other witch, Glinda (Michelle Williams). If he succeeds, Oz will become king and riches will be his. Along his journey he collects a band of cuddly sidekicks (flying monkey, China doll, munchkin) and learns that he may indeed be the hero that Oz needs to save the day.

Oz the Great and Powerful is really just 2010's Alice in Wonderland slapped together with a fresh coat of paint and some extra dwarves. I say this because, like Alice, this movie suffers from a plot that feebly sticks to the most generic of all fantasy storylines - the Great prophecy speaks about a Great savior who will save us from the Great evil. Naturally, the so-called chosen one has internal doubts about the burden they face, initially ducking out before finding that inner strength they had all long to prove they were indeed the one prophesized. It even got to the point where I was noticing some of the same plot beats between the two movies, like how last in the second act we spend time with a woman dressed all in white who we've been told is the villain but who is really the good guy. Then there's the now-routine rounding up of magical creatures to combat the evil hordes in a big battle. Considering Alice was billion-dollar hit for Disney, it's no surprise they would try and apply its formula to another magical universe hoping for the same results. Well I thought Alice was weak but Oz is even weaker. However, at least nobody absurdly starts breakdancing by the end. Small victories, people.

Beyond the formula that dictates the plot, the characters are poorly developed and broach some off-putting gender stereotypes. The character of Oz is portrayed as a scoundrel who eventually learns to be selfless, but I never really bought the major turning points for his character arc. Do all major characters need to be flawed men in need of redemption in magical worlds? I understand what they were doing with his character but I don't think it ever worked, and certainly Franco's performance is at fault as well (more on that later). The ladies of Oz, however, just about constitute every female stereotype we can expect in traditional movies. One of them is conniving but given no reason for why this is. One of them is pure and motherly. And then one of them gets lovesick so easily, falling head over heels for a boy in a matter of hours that she's willing to throw her life away in spite. And all of these witches, who can actually perform magic unlike the charlatan Oz, sure seem like they don't need a man to run the kingdom for them and tell them what to do. It's sad that a conflict that involves feudal power grabs should devolve into a misconstrued love triangle. Then there's the role of the little China Girl (voiced by Joey King) who adds absolutely nothing to the story except as another female in need of assistance and doting, except when she inexplicably behaves like a surly teenager in a tone-breaking head-turning moment. Oz keeps resting the very breakable doll on his shoulder, like a parrot. I suppose it's better than tucking her in his pants.

The movie is also tonally all over the place. It wants to be scary but not too scary. Personally, I always found the talking trees to be spookier than the flying monkeys but that's my own cross to bear. It wants to be funny but often stoops to lame slapstick and Zach Braff (Garden State) as a goofy flying monkey sidekick. It wants to be exciting but it never takes a step beyond initial menace. Its big climactic battle is more like a children's version of something you'd see in the Lord of the Rings. The movie fails to satisfyingly congeal and so every set piece feels like it could be from a different movie.

Some notable casting misfires also serve to doom the project. I like Franco (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) as an actor, I do, but he is grossly miscast here. He does not have the innate charm to pull off a huckster like Oz. Franco usually has an off kilter vibe to him, one that's even present in this film, that gives him a certain mysterious draw, but he does not work as an overblown man of theatricality. Combined with lackluster character, it makes for one very bland performance that everyone keeps marveling over. It's like all the supporting characters, in their fawning praise, are meant to subconsciously convince you that Franco is actually succeeding. Kunis (Friends with Benefits) is also a victim of bad casting. She can do the innocent ingénue stuff but when she takes a turn for the dark side it just does not work. When she goes bad she looks like Shrek's daughter and she sounds like a pissy version of her character from Family Guy, which is ineffectual to begin with. Kunis cannot believably portray maniacal evil; sultry evil, a corrupting influence like in Black Swan, most definitely, but not this. There are lines where she screeches at the top of her lungs and it just made me snicker ("CUUUUUURSE YOOOOOOU!").

I had faith that a director as imaginative as Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Drag Me to Hell) would be a stolid shepherd for a fantasy-rich project such as Oz. I never got any sense of Raimi in this movie. It felt like he too was smothered completely by the overabundance of special effects. It's a common complaint that modern movies are buried under an avalanche of soulless computer effects, but usually I find this bromide to be overstated. Having seen Oz, I can think of no more accurate description than "soulless computer effects overload." At no point in the movie does any special effect come close to feeling real. At no point do you feel immersed in this world, awed by its unique landscapes and inhabitants (it feels often more like the land of Dr. Seuss than Oz). I chose to see the film in good ole standard 2D, though the 3D eye-popping elements are always quite noticeable. At no point do you feel any sense of magic, the most damming charge of all considering the legacy of Oz. The original Wizard of Oz holds a special place in many a heart. We recall feeling that sense of wonder and magic when we watched it as a child, the idea that movies could be limitless and transporting. While watching Raimi's trip to Oz, I only felt an overwhelming sense of apathy that grew disquieting.

Then there's the matter of the questionable messages that the movie posits. It celebrates the power of belief, which is admirable, but it's belief in a lie. Oz is a fake, yet the movie wants to say that faith in false idols is something worth celebrating. Oz and his cohorts put together a deception to fool the denizens of the world into a false sense of security. Everyone believes in the Wizard of Oz so he has power but it's all a sham. We're supposed to feel good that these people have been fooled. Didn't The Dark Knight Rises basically showcase what ultimately happens when a society's safety is based around a lie and false idols? I understand that as a prequel one of its duties is to set up things for when Dorothy comes knocking, but do I have to be force-fed disingenuous moral messages?

Oz the Great and Powerful is a wannabe franchise-starter that feels like it never really gets started. There's a generic hero's journey, some underwritten characters, mixed messages, and poor casting choices, namely Franco and Kunis. The sense of movie magic is absent and replaced with special attention to marketing opportunities and merchandizing (get your own China Girl, kids). It feels more like the movie is following a pre-planned checklist of stops, cribbing its plot beats from 2010's Alice in Wonderland, and trying to exploit any nostalgia we have for this world and its characters. Except we love Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the cowardly Lion, and Toto. I don't think anyone really had any strong affection for Glinda or the Wizard. Just because we're in the same land with familiar elements doesn't mean our interest has been satiated. The Wizard of Oz backstory has already been done and quite well by the Broadway show Wicked, based upon the novels by Gregory Maguire. That show succeeded because it focused on the characters and their relationships (extra points for a complicated and positive female friendship dynamic). We cared. That's the biggest fault in Raimi's Oz, that amidst all the swirling special effects and fanciful imagination, you watch it without ever truly engaging with it. You may start to wonder if your childlike sense of wonder is dead. It's not; it's just that you're old enough to see a bad movie for what it is.

Nate's Grade: C

Funny and beautiful with a cast that's clearly having a wonderful time, the film does occasionally edge into the campy side of things. Full review later.