Running Time: 130 min

Rating: PG

Director: Sam Raimi

Lead Actors: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff

Oz the Great and Powerful brings child-like wonder and the belief of the impossible back into the hearts of moviegoers of all ages. Oscar Diggs (James Franco), who later becomes Oz, was not quite the character I imagined, but a much more human flawed man. Franco gives an astonishing performance creating a character that is relatable and real. The movie follows his story and how a good man can become a great one with a huge heart. When we first meet Oz he is a magician/con man winning the hearts of ladies all over. Yes, my friends, Oz is a player. He finds himself inside a hot air balloon, after narrowly escaping the angered “world’s strongest man,” and gets sucked into a tornado. The story really begins when Oz screams at what the audience must assume is God, asking for more time to become the great man he wants to be.

The visual effects of this movie, is hands down the most outstanding aspect. When the screen spreads out and the color begins to develop, the Land of Oz dazzles in front of the audience for the first time show casing the jaw-dropping setting. The special effects team drops the audience into the magical place. Every new town in the land adds to the mystical scenery the movie creates. If you don’t like the Oz tale itself, go for the visual aspect alone, it is that amazing.

The first witch he encounters is Theodora (Mila Kunis), a naïve, openhearted girl who refuses to choose a side between her two battling sisters. She instantly falls for Oz as soon as he uses his charm, and hopes to be his queen when he takes the thrown. Kunis creates a character that the audience feels like they truly know and identify with. Once the pair reaches the emerald city, they meet Evanora (Rachel Weisz). Evanora is in charge of aiding the king with whatever he needs, and quickly shows through her actions and subtle looks that she has her own vendetta. The third and final sister, Glenda (Michelle Williams) comes in a little later, Williams does nothing but add to the sugar-sweet witch we all know and love. She creates more of a background and personal touch to the original Glenda, showing who the good witch really is. Oz’s partners in crime include Finley, a small flying monkey in a bellhop uniform, and a small girl made of china, who is orphaned at the hands of the wicked witch. The two add to the true meaning and theme of the movie, innocence and friendship.

The Oz tale is the story that every little boy and girl love and cherish, therefore making it untouchable. Personally, I was terrified that this movie would change the way the Oz legend was told and ruin it for generation to come. As the credits rolled and the lights lifted, I was settled with the thought that this movie does nothing but add to tale. The story is set as a prequel to the original Wizard of Oz. It fills in the questions, and blanks that the original never addresses. Who really is Oz? How does the wicked witch become so, well, wicked?