Movie Review: Oz The Great and Powerful

I went to go see Oz The Great and Powerful at The Walt Disney Studios last Thursday night. Being a big fan of the original classic as well as the musical Wicked, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the Disney prequel.

The trailers and even the preview you can see at Disney California Adventure, looks like a bright new world similar to Disney's Alice In Wonderland. The preview in DCA actually looked like the 3D effect would be put to great use! After seeing the movie, I can honestly say that this is one movie you need to see in 3D! The 3D is perfect for the world of OZ as it creates a sense of dimensionality that literally bring you into OZ!

Oz The Great and Powerful takes us into a world we are already familiar with but takes us 30 years before Dorothy makes her trip down the Yellow Brick Road. This time we discover how OZ entered this world and how he became the Wizard.

This prequel to the classic The Wizard of OZ pays homage to the original film. From the start of the film in black and white, to a familiar storyline of a person in a strange new world, a yellow brick road, new friends, and of course an evil witch. But so many of the tributes are done so well that you never feel that you are constantly being hit over the head to be reminded of these tributes.

Rachel Weisz as Evanora, and Michelle Williams as Glinda are perfect for their roles. As the faces behind good and evil, they portray the polar opposites to perfection.

Mila Kunis as Theodora is perfect as the character who falls between good and evil. Both sides pull at her and one, of course, wins out.

James Franco as OZ was not as convincing in his role. He wants to be a great man but changes very little as the film progresses.

Some of the best characters in the film are the secondary characters of Finley, the flying monkey who acts as OZ's conscience and China Girl, a porcelain doll who is probably one of the most heart-aching and heartwarming characters in the movie.

In the end, OZ The Great and Powerful is a heartwarming and charming movie! It is an epic tale set in a familiar world! Charming, full of heart and an all around fun movie makes this an adventure worth traveling down the yellow brick road again!