Review of Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) by Erik R — 12 Jan 2014

Like its titular trickster, Oz the Great and Powerful has the appearance of magic, but lacks the sense of wonder that differentiates true magic from mere showmanship.

It's a real shame because the visuals are impressive and the movie does occasionally strike a true note, particularly in the fabulous character of the porcelain doll from China Town. She's superbly animated; she looks amazing, though James Franco's (as Oz) interactions with her are woefully awkward.

Yeah. As much as I like James Franco and have found his other performances to be excellent, he was horribly miscast in this role. I don't necessarily blame it on him. The entire movie struggled between a darker, more sinister tone and its ostensible makings as a 'family' movie. The story wasn't really a family story - it's about a womanizer (Oz) who pretends to be a wizard in order to gain wealth and riches. It's about a bright, colorful land with a rotten core; indeed even the pretty river faeries have rows of sharp teeth. In order to achieve its true potential, this film needed a darker script and an actor who could balance an external charisma and an inner darkness.

Instead, we got a script with a flat, artificial character arc full of eye-rolling, 'I believe in you!' moments and an actor with a cheesy grin and no sense of gravitas. It's a real shame; I can only imagine what this film would have been like had it not suffered from the ubiquitous juvenilization (my own word) that plagues modern society.

Final Say: I struggled to choose between a 2 star and a 2.5 star rating for this film, as that's the difference between Not-A-Recommendation and Recommendation. In the end, I felt so disappointed with the potential of the film that I dropped it down to a 2 star. This much I will say: Oz the Great and Powerful is an entertaining film and, at times, a beautiful film. Watching it would not be a waste of time. Just be prepared for cheese.

How to Watch It: With a cheerful, sunny disposition and with those who also have sunny, cheerful dispositions. Grin wide and let your grin suffuse your mind, pushing away the awkwardness that will constantly remind you that you're watching a film, instead of living in another land.

Trivia: The L. Frank Baum books on which this film is based are in what's called the 'common domain' which means their copyright is expired and anyone can use them free. The original musical/film, however, is not. Which is why the new film doesn't bank heavily on nostalgia.