Oz: The Great and Powerful was a movie that I wasn’t looking forward to, or expecting, but I enjoyed it all the same. James Franco plays Oz, a conman. He is working in a travelling circus, but his act isn’t very good. In standard Wizard of Oz fashion, a twister sweeps Oz away to…Oz. This is a bit disconcerting at first. The CGI is so badly done, that it takes away that moment of grand awe and beauty. The colors are vibrant and beautiful, but the lifelessness and dull textures instantly make you think “fake”. I remember the first time seeing the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy’s world came into color, wow. That moment still sticks with me. She really wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Although the backdrops of the original movie were nothing but painted scenes, the land of Oz still had a very realistic life of its own without all the cgi and effects of the new “OZ”. The overdone world of the new Oz somehow takes focus off the wonders of the world itself. Kids may enjoy the overdone gaudy cgi, but I enjoy a more simple manmade feel.  What shines in this movie, is not the computer generated world, but the characters themselves. Oz is cheeky and every bit the salesman you would expect, but he learns to think of more than him once he is hit with two evil witches to defeat. The witches are played by Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz, and they are both played wonderfully. Another thing that made the rating on this movie raise for me, was the costume designs. They were very well done and fun to look at. So while the cgi detracts from the movie, the story and characters make up for the less than impressive imagined world.

Labels: 4 star film, family movie, fantasy movie, movie review