Oz the Great and Powerful

Cast of Characters:

Oscar "Oz" Diggs - James Franco

Theodora - Mila Kunis

Evanora - Rachel Weisz

Glinda, the Good Witch of the South - Michelle Williams

Finley - voiced by Zach Braff

Master Tinker - Bill Cobbs

China Girl - voiced by Joey King

Knuck - Tony Cox

Director - Sam Raimi

Screenplay - Mitchell Kapner & David Lindsay-Abaire

Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language

      Oz the Great and Powerful is easily the most anticipated prequel to a beloved classic since Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. After about four years of waiting to be developed, the highly anticipated prequel has arrived. That being said, does it live up to the high expectations?

      Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is a small-time magician from Kansas. He dreams of being the combination of Harry Houdini and Thomas Edison, yet unfortunately his dreams seem to be out of reach as long as he's running shows at the local fair. While escaping a potential fight with the circus strongman by way of a hot air balloon, Oscar collides head on with a tornado that sends him spiraling to what he believes to be his inevitable demise. Once the storm has passed, he finds himself in the Land of Oz. There he meets the witch Theodora (Mila Kunis) who believes Oscar is the one wizard prophesied to overthrow the wicked witch responsible for killing the king of Oz and return peace and order back to the land. On their way to the Emerald City, they run into a flying monkey by the name of Finley (voiced by Zach Braff) who pledges a life debt to Oscar after the he saves him from a lion.

      Once Oscar and Theodora arrive at Emerald City, Oscar is introduced to Theodora's sister, another witch by the name of Evanora (Rachel Weisz). Evanora is not as enthused as Theodora is about Oscar's presence and is skeptical of whether or not he really is a "wizard". Nevertheless, she offers Oscar all the gold and treasure of Emerald City if he kills the wicked witch who lives in the Dark Forest. To do so, he has to destroy her wand which is the source of all her power. While Oscar and Finley set out to destroy the wicked witch, the meet China Girl (voiced by Joey King), a plucky china doll who begs Oscar to take her with him. The wicked witch killed her family and destroyed her homeland, so she wants payback.

      Upon entering the Dark Forest and encountering the one they believe to be the "wicked witch", Oscar, Finley, and China Doll are surprised to find out that it is actually Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (Michelle Williams) who they were sent to kill. Glinda believes that Oscar is the true wizard sent to rescue Oz from the real wicked witch Evanora. Oscar is obviously overwhelmed at the idea of him having to save the entire Land of Oz. He sees himself as nothing more than a magician, but Glinda refuses to give up on him as they plan to set things right against Evanora.

      SPOILER ALERT AHEAD: Going into this film, I had somewhat high expectations. I love the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, but certainly wasn't going to compare Oz the Great and Powerful to what I believe to be one of the greatest films of all time. That's just not fair to this film. All things considered, and despite mixed reviews, I enjoyed this film quite a bit. For starters, director Sam Raimi is no slouch when it comes to visual presentation and this film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Whether it's the set design, cinematography, or the special effects, this is a visual marvel to watch. James Franco wouldn't have been my first choice to play "the great and powerful wizard", but he gives a solid performance. Michelle Williams is very likeable as Glinda and gives off just enough sweetness to her role without having it come off as corny. Zach Braff and Joey King also deliver some often-times funny voice-over work. It's the lovely Rachel Weisz though that hits it out of the park as Evanora. She does a terrific job. The film's weakness lies in Mila Kunis. She's miscast as the good witch turned very bad Theodora. That's not a slight on her per se, 'cause Kunis is a fine actress, and up until her transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West, her performance is actually good. It's after the transformation where she doesn't come off quite as believable as she should be. Obviously, in the 1939 film, Margaret Hamilton's perfect performance as the Wicked Witch was the stuff of nightmares for children, and those are some mighty big shoes to fill regardless of who it is cast to play the part. Like with comparing this film to the original, it's once again unfair to compare Kunis's performance to Hamilton's. I just feel it could've been better. All things considered though, this is still an entertaining and satisfying tribute to the original.

      Could it have been better? Of course. I still enjoyed the ride, though. In spite of the one weakness, it still provided some solid performances. Overall, the film is visually breathtaking and at its center it has heart to it, providing a few fitting nods to the 1939 classic. Like it's predecessor The Wizard of Oz, this is definitely a movie both children and adults can enjoy. I give Oz the Great and Powerful an A- (★★★½).

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