Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Wonderful character development!

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

This prequel to 'The Wizard of Oz' opens in Kansas where circus magician Oscar Diggs, the self-styled 'Oz the Great and Powerful' performs to audiences who want to believe that he really can work miracles… which of course he can't. One day he is forced to flee in a balloon; as he flies away he is caught up in a tornado. When he lands he is no longer in the monochrome Kansas but in the vividly coloured land of Oz. He soon meets Theodora, a beautiful and kindly witch who believes that he is the answer to their prophecies; a wizard who shares his name with their land who will defeat the wicked witch who murdered the king. We are told that there are three witches, all sisters and daughters of the king; Theodora, her good sister Evanora and the wicked third sister. On the way to the Emerald city to meet Evanora they save Finley, a winged monkey who joins them.Once there Oz learns that if he is to fulfil the prophecy… and thus become king and gain a room full of gold he must go to the Dark Forest and destroy the Wicked Witch's wand. He and Finlay head towards the forest and rescue a Chine Doll whose family were killed by the Wicked Witch. When they finally meet the witch it becomes apparent that not everything we have been told is true; this witch is Glinda and she is far from evil. Evanora is the wicked one. If she is to be defeated, and the Kingdom of Oz saved, Oscar will have to work with the peaceful people of Oz and use many of the tricks he learnt.As an origins story this is rather fun; 'The Wizard of Oz' told us that the wizard was from Kansas and this nicely showed us how he came to Oz and came to such a prominent position. This aspect of the story was interesting but even more interesting was the origin of the Wicked Witch of the West. I like the fact that she wasn't always evil but became evil due to certain events. There are plenty of enjoyable nods to other events in the original film and some nice twists… I loved how when we first see the Munchkins it looks as though they are about eight feet tall before it is revealed that each of them is three standing on each other's' shoulders! The cast does a solid job; James Franco is good as the somewhat cowardly wizard and Michelle Williams is likable as Glinda however for me it is Mila Kunis who stands out most as Theodora thanks to the way she went from being a good character to being the cackling evil Wicked Witch of the West. The rest of the cast are pretty good too. The special effects are a bit mixed; I really liked the China Doll character; I didn't mind the vivid, unreal look of Oz but the flying effects often looked rather poor at times; perhaps they worked when the film was shown in 3D but on DVD they looked distinctly ropey. That did detract from the film at times but not enough to spoil it. There are a few good scares; nothing too strong for most children though. Overall I rather enjoyed this despite certain flaws.

First off, this movie has loads of potential. Sam Raimi, known for his horror films, took a step out of his comfort zone in directing this movie and did very well. His presentation of the aesthetics of Oz is beautiful and what keeps the viewer watching. Michelle Williams is a delight and bright spot of the film's cast. While Rachel Weisz doesn't give you chills, she is serviceable as Evanora. All other supporting cast members fit quite well and make for what could have been a great movie. But then some other casting choices were made...I'm not sure if the producers thought having a "young, cool" actor and actress would help them target a wider range of moviegoers but whatever they were hoping for failed miserably. James Franco and Mila Kunis are plain awful. Franco is either high the entire film or is simply a frighteningly bad actor. Everything he does is awkward, forced and painful to watch. Kunis' attempt to be "evil" is hilarious and the only thing that stops you from laughing is when she screams, as it sounds like an old blender tossed in a wood chipper and causes your ears to hurt. Nothing she does comes off as wicked in the least and the script doesn't help. Maybe if they had better lines Franco and Kunis could seem interesting but their acting abilities leave much to be desired. Supposedly, Robert Downey Jr passed on the role of Oz and though he made the right choice given the script, he would've been so much better at bringing the lovable con-man to life. The climactic scene near the end is pretty exciting as you think you may enjoy how the film wraps up. Psych! James and Mila have to act again. Ending ruined.

Don't look for "Wicked" in this prequel to the 1939 classic, loosely based upon other L. Frank Baum stories. This stars James Franco as the future wizard of Oz who manages to break away from a black and white/non- widescreen Kansas tornado and fly into the colorful but often sinister land of Oz where he meets three beautiful women of various stages of morality and goodness. Then, there's a cute winged monkey, a seemingly sweet (but annoying) china doll and other familiar looking old friends from the original "The Wizard of Oz".Two sisters (Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz) are running the Emerald City when the king of humbug arrives, and it is obvious that they are the future demonic rulers of the west and east. Who is who is not obvious, although the presence of Glinda is clear, if not as glamorous in Michelle Williams' hands as it was in Billie Burke's. Far more sinister to meet modern experience expectations, that is to the film's detriment. Obviously rushed out to capitalize on the success of Broadway's "Wicked", it makes that slightly over- rated musical seem a classic. This gets often overly silly and frequently mean-spirited, something that the charm of the original managed to avoid thanks to its innocence. The character of Theodora, the name given to the witch of the West, is simply turned into a vindictive crone, consumed with revenge over unrequited love towards the wizard. By adding a romantic attachment with two of the witches goes against the grain of the original story. The witch of the west seems to cackle out of nowhere, even when loosing her cause, and isn't at all as fascinating as Margaret Hamilton's witch or Elphaba of "Wicked" fame. Getting to know the witch of the east is a little more interesting, especially for those who have not seen "Wicked", although no reference is given to how she ended up ruling Munchkin City. References are hinted at that the Wizard knew Dorothy Gale's parents, but nothing is further explored in that realm. Certainly, 1939's MGM classic became famous slowly over time (thanks to TV), but that most likely will not happen with this film.

I thought this film shouldn't be ever made since it really does destroy a bit of 'Wizard of Oz'. The Wizard was not meant to be a young dude, he was meant to be an old guy that is lovable and very jolly. James Franco was a bad choice to play as the wizard, he just doesn't have that in him. He's a good actor but like his other movie 'The Interview' and on this, these are the worst movies he has ever done in his film career. I meant it! It was also a really bad choice for Mila Kunis to play the Wicked Witch because she really acts too good to be a villain. The makeup wasn't even great on her, it made her look like she was having botox or allergic to it. For a beautiful talent actress like herself, don't put on too makeup or else it'll be a disaster! I didn't even like the fact she became green just because she ate a green apple. That never happen, the witch was born green, she wasn't even pale, could they not concentrate more on the 1939 film? I guess they didn't which is stupid! I would not show this to my future kids to this because it's just a terribly bad made movie!