The film is directed by Sam Raimi and is a prequel to the 1939 "Wizard of Oz". This flick basically explains why the Wizard was in Oz as well as the origins of the Wicked Witches of the east AND west.
The movie is pretty to look at especially if you catch the flick in 3D.
While the trailer to Oz the Great and Powerful looks dark, I can assure you that it's not that dark. I guess Disney and Raimi remembered that kids will still be watching this. It's also interesting to know that Disney has gone to great lengths to study what parts of the Judy Garland classic can be used as a plot point and which should be spun from a completely new thread. Good call on that.
James Franco can make for a pretty entertaining if he wants to. Franco plays the role of the titular wizard Oz who runs away from a travelling circus in Kansas and is mysteriously transported to the land of Oz. Franco works his magic in showing the asshole version of Oz and then a completely different man towards the end. I'm not sure what makes it funny, but the moment Oz makes the transition from his 'mortal' form to the Wizard that Judy Garland encounters, hilarity ensues. Or maybe it was just me and Pamela who were giggling at those scenes.
The two iconic witches here are played by Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis. Kunis in particular sheds her beautiful looks here in exchange for a prosthetic nose and green skin. Costume wise, the two actresses looked like they really belonged in the magical world of Oz. However, its the acting that hurts them the most in this picture. Kunis doesn't get too much screen time while Weisz looks like she was overacting in some bits. The other gripe I have with Kunis is her lack of passion in this movie. Even if she's crying, you're not really feeling it. Provided this was a kid's movie but still, you need to at least make the audience believe that you're really hurt over a 'betrayal'.
Michelle Williams plays Glinda the good witch in this movie. She looks pretty and all that but compared to the beauty and looks of her two female co-stars, I'm not so inclined with her casting. Still, there might be people who are happy over her role her. In terms of her relevance, she's there for a good reason which I'm not inclined to spoil.
One last thing, the scenes where we see her and Oz starting to get close seem pretty forced.
I might be a little too hard on "Oz the Great and Powerful" but it's still not going to stop from me from saying it's entertaining. Accepting the fact that almost everybody wasn't at their A-game except for James Franco and Zach Braff who plays the role of Finley the flying monkey, will do wonders for you when you watch the film.
Visually speaking, the 3D worked extremely well. I'm surprised why Disney never pushed the stereoscopic 3D here to the limit as it would have been very, very nice to see it. If you're not a big fan of roller coasters, you might want to steel yourself for one scene where you get the whole roller coaster effect. Also massive props for the creation of China Girl who seems to be very endearing.
Since this is also a Sam Raimi flick you better keep your eyes peeled for the appearances of frequent Raimi collaborators Bruce Campbell and Ted Raimi who again make cameos. Here's a clue, Raimi appears early on in the movie and Campbell (who was well-disguised) appears towards the end.
"Oz the Great and Powerful" is a fun movie driven more by the fun plot and the visuals but gets a bit of drag thanks to some uninspired acting by some of the cast members. It uses fun and rich materials for world building and I'm 95% sure that some of the Dorothy's future friends who travel down the yellow brick road with her.
Really big thanks to Columbia and Walt Disney Pictures Philippines.
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