Review of Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) by Radioman1017 — 09 Mar 2013

Oz the Great and Powerful is a mixed bag. It's very big, extremely colorful, and full of unique characters. I took the family to see it and found that it was perfectly suited for almost all ages. There was no violence or blood and only a couple of 3D staged frrights, mostly in the form of flying monkeys (which was the scariest part of the the original WOO). The characters were not terribly well developed but everyone had their place and it was fun to watch them chew up the scenery. The effects were a mixed bag with some of it being very good but others (mostly long shots of characters running) looking obviously CGI. The story itself plays right along the lines of WOO with character failings and encounters being resolved or re-met in Oz. The CGI characters looked terrific and the China Doll was absolutely precious. It was very easy to forget you were looking at CGI. The ending was very satisfying and my favorite part of the movie. I think the only place it missed was revealing an important character note very early. The original WOO held onto a mystery until the very end and I expected that here. Aside from that, the various plot points tied up nicely and we left the theater smiling.

Oz the Great and Powerful isn't a masterpiece, but it's a very, very good film. Based on other reviews, I really should have seen the 3D version. Go see this today.