Oz the Great and Powerful (Raimi, 2013)

In 1939, the definition of a "movie fantasy" forever changed with the release of The Wizard of Oz, a technical marvel the likes of which the world had never seen. Today, it is considered one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly the most prolific of the fantasy genre. So, naturally, audiences and film buffs (myself included) were skeptical when The Walt Disney Company announced plans to make a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Would this new movie capture the heart of the original? Will it break down technical barriers? Will it answer the questions posed in the first installment? And, most importantly, will it be any good?

The skepticisms were very warranted, and unfortunately, most proved to be very true.

Oz the Great and Powerful serves as little more than popcorn entertainment, doing nothing to further the cinematic art or reach the standards set by the first Wizard of Oz. It lacks Wizard's charm and originality, providing a mediocre story with second-rate characters.

James Franco plays Oscar "Oz" Diggs, a circus magician who cons his way through life. During the long, boring, and pretty much pointless opening act, Oscar does his usual con show in front of paying customers. He lies to a girl to get her help, and verbally abuses his one true friend (Zach Braff). Oscar's dream girl (Michelle Williams) arrives to tell Oscar that she has moved on, and they each give ridiculously corny monologues about life and happiness. Then, out of nowhere, a large man threatens to kill Oscar. In the span of about a minute-and-a-half, Oscar is floating through the sky on a hot air balloon hurdling towards a twister. (Wait, what? How and why did that happen? It goes by that fast in the theater, too.)

Finally, after the black-and-white 4:3 ratio opening, we are in the colorful fullscreen world of Oz. Oscar's balloon subsequently crashes into a pond, where he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), a young witch who has troubles of her own. Theodora believes Oscar is the Wizard from the Prophecy, which states that a mighty wizard will one day come to Oz to defeat the Wicked Witch and claim the throne of the kingdom. Realizing how rich he will be if he keeps up the illusion, Oscar tells Theodora that he is indeed the wizard, and travels with her to the Emerald City. He meets Theodora's sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), who tells him that in order to become king he must kill the Wicked Witch. So, Oscar sets out to fulfill the destiny and learn who he truly is in the process.

The story of Oz the Great and Powerful is riddled with cliches, predictable plot twists, and a poor screenplay. Nothing comes at any great surprise; audiences will slap their hands to their faces after some of the plot developments occur. It was nice to see China Town, a land filled with China-glass people, as it did not make it into The Wizard of Oz; and, there are several allusions to the source book series by L. Frank Baum. But for a world as rich and diverse as Oz, the writers could have done more to incorporate improved story lines and introduce new characters. For example, the original Wizard double-cast all the actors as both people in Dorothy's life and their counterparts in Oz, giving the possible conclusion that it was all in Dorothy's mind. With the exception of three characters, The Great and Powerful's black-and-white circus performers do not interact with Oz's witches and fantasy creatures. This would have made an interesting addition, but perhaps this situation will be better addressed in the inevitable Great and Powerful sequels.

Franco makes Oscar a very detestable character, so much so that we hardly believe or realize his transformation throughout the movie. The selfishness of the character is a little overdone, and as such makes for a very unlikeable protagonist. Kunis and Weisz do not hold a candle to Michelle Williams, who double-plays both dream girl Annie and the good witch Glinda; but, in the end, virtually no one in the cast really seems to want to be there, and they give strained performances at best. Characters and actors float in and out of the movie's story without any real reason, and by the end viewers are unsure of who is important and who is not.

The only characters I really enjoyed were the two played by Zach Braff, who was so good in the movie  that I am willing to give a half-a-star addition to what Oz should receive. He plays both the helper Frank in the beginning of the film and the monkey assistant Finley, who after Oscar saves him from a lion, owes his life to the wizard. Braff is funny, charming, and emotional when all the other actors fail to impress. His comic relief dissipates as the film wears on, but I loved every scene in which he was featured.

I was constantly reminded of Tim Burton's far superior Alice in Wonderland (2010) when I was watching The Great and Powerful, as on a technical level they are virtually the same. Yes, Wonderland and Oz share many characteristics, but did director Sam Raimi really have to make them seem so literally identical? The stories were familiar in each, but Raimi's work lacked the imagination and new spin on the series brought forth by Burton on Alice. The CGI and 3D work is impressive in both, but since Alice in Wonderland came first, Raimi merely seems to be copying what Burton has already done.

That being said, Oz the Great and Powerful is indeed visually stunning. The sweeping plains of the Yellow Brick Road capture audience's imagination and attention. And the movie is fun at times, whether by the action sequences, or by the references to the original The Wizard of Oz. But the poor screenplay, lazy acting, and uninspired direction make Oz the Great and Powerful yet another prequel/sequel the world really didn't need.

Two out of five stars.