Oz - Not So Great and Powerful

Last night, I got to see Oz, the Great and Powerful. I had high hopes for this movie. I loved the colors and designs I saw in the trailers. I was a huge Oz fan as a child (although I have to admit I've never read the books). I was even willing to look past the lead actor - let me say up front that James Franco is not among my favorite actors.

Sadly, I left the theater disappointed.

The first scenes, presented in black and white as a tribute to The Wizard of Oz, seemed to last a bit too long. That kind of carried through the rest of the film. The scripting seemed laborious and a bit campy at times. When we're talking children's movies, I understand that a certain amount of "camp" has to happen...but this wasn't strictly a children's movie.

The whole premise behind how the Wicked Witch of the West turned wicked was an implied affair with the Wizard. That's pretty adult content, and that turned me off. Bringing that kind of reasoning for a villain into a children's story just doesn't work, in my opinion, of course. And as far as the Witch is concerned, Mila Kunis was far too pretty, even in the green makeup.

As I said earlier, I was willing to overlook James Franco. Willing to give him another shot as an actor. I couldn't stand him. I found nothing endearing about his character, even as he transformed into the loveable Wizard of Oz.

The final battle scene between Glinda and Evanora reminded me of the battles between Jedi and Sith in Star Wars. Been there, done that. It could have been much more spectacular or creative...and it fell short.

All that to say, I'm glad I got to see the movie. Had I DVRed it, I probably would have skimmed through and deleted it promptly. Because someone paid for it, I sat through it. If I don't think too much about it, I might be able to say I enjoyed it. But from a critical point of view, it let me down.

I've love to hear what you think, though. Let me know!