‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ gets lost in the Emerald City

There are numerous problems with Sam Raimi’s sub-par effort to give a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic Wizard of Oz tale. First off, the Hollywood casting is atrocious. James Franco, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis all seem out of place, never fitting into their roles, never enjoying their time in this live-action cartoon of a movie. Raimi’s sweeping visuals are impressive, but they serve no real purpose. After a visit to Oz, it feels as if we don’t even know the place.

Chalk this one up to being an obvious cash cow in the same vein as Alice in Wonderland and Snow White and the Huntsman. These movies bastardize famous titles, stripping the source material of its originality and enjoyment.

Franco plays the title character, a down-on-his-luck magician who plays a two-bit circus with very few audience members. He womanizes with different ladies in each town he visits, and has a reputation among the circus tents. Escaping the clutches of a jealous lover, Oz finds himself whisked away in a hot air balloon just as a tornado is hitting Kansas. Black and white fades into color (sound familiar?), and the magician crash-lands in the magical world of Oz.

There are witches, both good (Williams) and bad (Kunis). There’s also Rachel Weisz as Evanora, a witch with aspirations to take over the Emerald City. The political shenanigans among these women are boring and hardly worth the exposition. In fact, learning their back stories takes so much time away from the overall narrative that we’re robbed of the chance to enjoy the mystical surroundings. You know a film is weak when a Zach Braff-voiced monkey is the most interesting character.

Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire’s script is somewhat dull. If there was more action, these two hours would fly by. Instead, we need to watch how these adult characters get in touch with their feelings and find their way in the world. The character arcs are basic and obvious.

What is so great about The Wizard of Oz is that the film balances its dazzling visual style and societal commentary. Audiences truly enjoy themselves while learning about the human condition. We all know the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Dorothy because of what they represent, how they overcome their fears, how they deal with fragility and how they discover self-worth. In Oz the Great and Powerful, no such profundity exists. This 2013 update is simply another trip down a well-worn rabbit hole … oh wait, I’m screwing up my fables.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Oz the Great and Powerful

• 2013

• Directed by Sam Raimi

• Written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire

• Starring James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Wililams and Mila Kunis

• Running time: 130 minutes

• Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language

• Rating: