Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful

Rating 4 out of 10

I wasn't quite sure what to expect out of this movie.  I knew it was a prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz and from the trailers it looked to have some pretty cool graphics.  I didn't find Oz to be a bad movie.  It's just not a very good one either.

I will admit right off that I'm not a big fan of James Franco who plays our magician from Kansas named Oz.  Franco always to me seems like he needs a good scrubbing.  Greasy hair and a wanna-be beard like I had when I was sixteen.  Get him a toothbrush and some heavy duty toothpaste while you are at it.  I have to believe he was not the producers first choice here.

The movie begins in a small town fair with a second rate magician (Oz) more interested in charming the ladies and cheating the people than caring if he is very good.  While running from a jealous husband he gets in his ballon for a hasty get away only to be sucked into a oncoming tornado.  As everyone knows If you get sucked up by a tornado you end up in another land.  That's what happens to Oz.   He crash lands is a strange land full of colorful plants and strange creatures.  It seems a now murdered king had predicted the coming of the Wizard named Oz.  He is more interested in getting their gold than saving the kingdom.  Hard to tell who are the good guys without a play book.

The movie is clearly made for the 3D crowd.  I saw the 2D version.  Most of the filming seemed to be going from one 3D gimmick to another.  The storyline is very infantile for adults (I kept wishing I had a fast forward button) yet I am afraid it won't keep the attention of most kids.  The acting was okay even though some of the other actors seemed out of place too. I"m wondering if this had anything to do with the play Wicked as the acting seemed to be very over the top like you'd see in theater.   Overall I was mostly bored and wishing it would hurry up and end.