Oz: the Great and Powerful
"Oz: the Great and Powerful" isn't worth your time. It's big and bloated. Every scene spends 10 minutes conveying what could have been shown in two, every plot point lifelessly by-the-book. I grew out of the "hating a movie because hate = taste" phase in high school, so I really don't say this lightly, but this movie was a turd. A complete dud. It's DOA.
But why?
Is it the acting? Well, the human performances certainly don't help. James Franco stars as Oscar, the eponymous character, a narcissistic dick who cares only for "greatness," even at the expense of others. To his credit, Franco plays the character perfectly. To the detriment of the film, such an unappealing performance causes us to never care about Oscar. We root for him to get his just desserts when the Tornado arrives, only to sigh with dismay when he's transported to the wonderful world of Oz.
Mila Kunis co-stars as Theodora, Franco's first love interest in Oz. She's a witch, along with her sister, Evanora (Rachel Wiesz), and Gilda (Michelle Williams). Unfortunately, the film doesn't give them much to do. Kunis isn't bad, but she's miscast, particularly when her character is required to be menacing or angry. Wiesz is fierce, Gilda is confident, but none of them come into their own as characters. Zach Braff takes a turn as the voice of Finley, a flying monkey who serves Oscar. Finley is fully CGI and somehow manages to tug at my emotions more than any of the other characters.
I feel manipulated by those big eyes, but I can't look away.
Is it the special effects? Most of the movie is yet another example of how CGI is best used as a complement to the story rather the focus of a filmmaking endeavor. We see more of the land of Oz than ever before, but it doesn't add anything to our understanding of the land. Waterfalls, giant flowers, angry water pixies ... none more effectively invoking a sense of majesty as a giant matte painting of the Emerald City in the far-off distance. Sometimes it's OK to slow down and focus. "Oz: the Great and Powerful" doesn't understand that.
Ultimately, though, "Oz" is just plain boring. Events happen as they would on the plot breakdown of any similar story. Nothing is surprising or interesting. It's not just a prequel, it's a prequel about someone who was more a MacGuffin than a character in the original. When we meet Theodora and her sister, we know exactly who she is and what she's planning. We also know, given the ending of the first film, precisely how this one will end.
Just don't bother.
It's disappointing that such a generally talented team of filmmakers could churn out something with so little heart.