Oz the Great and Powerful: New Oz Movie Gets So-So Reviews
The newest Wizard of Oz movie from the Disney company is out, and getting mixed reviews. Most critics applaud the 3-D effects that make it a sometimes stunning visual experience, while being much less enthusiastic about the storyline, casting and acting.
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is a prequel to the beloved 1939 “Wizard of Oz” that starred Judy Garland, and which the Library of Congress has named the most watched movie of all time. The new movie tells the story of how the man who would become the wizard came to Oz and became its ruler.
The year is 1905, and Oscar Diggs, whose nickname is “Oz,” is a magician in a run-down circus in Kansas. Diggs runs into trouble that requires him to make a quick getaway in a hot-air balloon. Inevitably, a tornado arrives and transports him and his balloon to the magical land we first encountered in the 1939 film. Many of the old “Oz” favorite characters are there, including Munchkins, horses of a different color, flying monkeys, and Winkie guards. There is also a fierce lion, not yet cowardly, and a multitude of scarecrows.
The plot revolves around not just one, but three witches, and Diggs has to figure out which is wicked, and which he can trust. The witches, in turn, are trying to decide if Diggs is the great and powerful wizard who is prophesied to appear and rid the land of the wicked witch.
As in the 1939 classic, the Kansas scenes are shot in black and white, while the land of Oz is shown in glorious 3-D color.
The consensus of the critics so far seems to be that while the visuals can be stunning, the storyline is not as magical and the acting not as compelling as in the 1939 Judy Garland original. Most are saying that the star of the movie, James Franco, seems miscast as the soon-to-be wizard, and lacks the required pizzazz. Although it’s directed by Sam Raimi, who previously directed the Spider-Man trilogy, the critics say this Disney effort just doesn’t have the magic the original leads us to expect.
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is rated PG and contains action sequences and images that may be scary for younger children. It also has what the Washington Post reviewer calls obscenity, and the National Public Radio critic says is “brief mild language.”
Watch the trailer of Oz the Great and Powerful.
More articles by Ron Franklin
