As a prequel to the beloved 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, Oz the Great and Powerful has a rich well of nostalgia at its disposal, and director Sam Raimi harnesses it to provide a foundation for a fresh new angle.
by Shannon Vestal
As a prequel to the beloved 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, Oz the Great and Powerful has a rich well of nostalgia at its disposal, and director Sam Raimi harnesses it to provide a foundation for a fresh new angle. Unfortunately, the new movie set in the land of Oz is all flash and no substance. James Franco plays small-time magician Oscar Diggs, who goes by "Oz" and is more concerned with fame and money than with other people. When the Kansas resident gets swept into a tornado (sound familiar?), he finds a strange new world that desperately needs to be saved from a mysterious wicked witch. Though Oz feels like an impostor, he finds a new side of himself that wants to help, thanks to some new friends and a beautiful witch, Glinda (Michelle Williams).

The good witch is contrasted by two other witches, Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Theodora (Mila Kunis), who both have streaks of wickedness, but we don't know who the bad witch is until an early twist reveals her. The witches, with their magic and unparalleled beauty, are the most fun characters to watch, but this is supposed to be about Oz — and his story is not compelling in the least. Find out what else I thought of Oz the Great and Powerful after the jump.