I know we’ve been over this, but what’s with directional witches? Why Wicked Witch “of the West?” Did she win her bracket or something? Beat UCLA in the regional final, cut the down the straw nets and now represents the College of Munchkinland in the Final Four? I just don’t get it.
Speaking of things I don’t get, James Franco continues to be a star. I don’t think he brings anything to the table but dopey cool, but he is likable on film – which is arguably the greatest skill an actor can have. James plays Oscar Diggs (“Oz”), a philandering, egotistical swindler. He makes pocket change putting on a fraud show for the traveling circus. One too many angry husbands later and he’s forced to escape the carny parade in a hot air balloon. Nobody told Oz that he was in a b&w film set in pre W.W.II Kansas where tornadoes happened with the frequency of Old Faithful and within minutes Oz is transported to … Oz. Tell you what: if you’re ever transported to a magical place that bears your name and Mila Kunis immediately 
attaches herself to you upon arrival, it’s time to wake up; you’re late for work.
The cinematography is splendid throughout Oz the Great and Powerful. The black and white Kansas opening yields to a beautiful expanded technicolor Oz. The prequel, in fact, is so true to the original Wizard of Oz that this Oz looks fake, too. Within three seconds (or very close to) of arrrival, Oz and Theodora (Kunis) find the yellow brick road, pretty much the I-5 of Oz, so let’s go walkin’. Within five more seconds, Oz collects a bellboy flying monkey. Later, he collects a talking china doll. While he is neither great, nor powerful, Oz can apply glue with the deft skill of your average fourth grader. In the Land of Oz, this is skill in great demand, especially in Chinatown (get it?).
In the “Requirements for Oz” tour guide is there some sort of checklist that involves yellow brick road travel, Munchkin hijinks and acquisition of weird new and easily abandoned friends?
You won’t believe how long the rest of this film is. Problem is Oz himself is a charlatan jerk and the plot is kinda empty (something about Oz destined to achieve greatness by relieving the land of ills, but if you work backwards you realize the land wasn’t really in need of a savior until he got there), and you can always tell bad witch from good witch by color of hair — watch out for those damn brunettes. Speaking of golden hair, I love Michelle Williams, but her Good-Witch-Glinda was pretty weak, as was the tension. Sam Raimi, I love you too, but I don’t like your Oz. I bid you adieu. Goodbye, yellow brick road.
From whence Kansan circus he fled
“Where have I landed?” Oz said
His morals unfull
To match action dull
Screw this. Go see “Wicked” instead.
Rated PG, 130 Minutes
D: Sam Raimi
W: Mitchell Kapner, David Lindsay-Abaire
Genre: Blockbusting prequel
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Small children with long attention spans and a penchant for fireworks
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Judy Garland wannabes
