Review: Oz The Great and Powerful

The original "Wizard of Oz (1939)" is truly one of the gems in Hollywood, by showing great effects and great performance. I was truly a fan of this film but was the prequel able to capture of the original? Find out below.

Synopsis:

Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced

Story:
The story revolves around James Franco's Oz, and the way he was sent to Oz was also the same way as Dorothy. Now, the story was well told but there is no surprise or whatsoever as you can see the twist from a mile away. That being said, I think this movie was able to show more regarding the world of Oz. more characters or creatures were introduced and more places were explored. But some scenes didn't feel necessary as it should've been left out on the cutting room floor. That being said, again the story was well told, not bad but not good either, only average.

Acting:
Almost everyone gave an average performance but the one that really stood out here is the performances of both Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams, they were really natural here and brings out a good performance. Franco was a hit and miss here, sometimes his acting was believable, sometimes it's not, and also, sometimes when he smiles, he looked like a perverted freak. Now to the voice acting of Braff and King, they suit the roles very well andit was right up in their alley. Lastly, the weakest link here is Mila Kunis as Theodora, even though she was good to look at, she was a total miscast, she only came out irritating and annoying.

Visual FX:
I loved the visual effects in this movie, it was believable and very colorful, although sometimes it felt too much. The visual effect was able to help this movie have some astounding shots. But in the end, I still prefer the practical effects used in the original (but still, the effect was awesome here). It was also good to see

Cinematography:
Like I said before the VFX helped the movie to have great shots, so to sum it all up, this movie never failedto show how beautiful the world of Oz is.

Direction:
It's been a while since we last saw Raimi in the directing chair and seeing him (or not) making films again is good. Having said that, this wasn't his best effort, some things were lacking in this movie and some scenes were pretty unnecessary. But he was still able to show the beauty of Oz and the tension that can reside in that place.

Overall:
Oz The Great and Powerful is one beautiful film to watch for both kids and adults, even though at some times it came out short, it was still entertaining. I give this movie a 3.5/5.