Oz, The Great and Powerful

This week was spring break for me, so on Tuesday my best friend, Jackie, and I decided to hit up the cinema to indulge in a movie both of us had been craving to see: Oz, The Great and Powerful. I was a massive Wizard of Oz fan when I was little, so this movie seemed like the next obvious step considering I've already seen Wicked as well. The only way I can think to describe this movie is beautiful and truly magical. It is the prequel to Wizard of Oz, in a sense. It tells the story of a circus magician named Oscar Diggs. While trying to outrun the man whose girlfriend he sweet-talked, Oscar (Oz for short) jumps into a hot air balloon to get away. He then gets swept up into the oncoming toronado and begs for s second chance to become a "good man." He gets his wish when he arrives in Oz to meet Theodora the Good (witch). She brings him to Emerlad City where it is made apparent to him that he will be the next Wizard. The story then goes that he meets many of the familiar Oz characters so as to become the "Great and Powerful Oz."

This movie has many spoilers, which is why I am being so vague. Moving on, I felt the movie was good. The storyline was clever and left me wondering why no one has done this before. The cast was mostly good too, with the exception of a couple. This is quite a heavy thing to say, I admit, but James Franco was not Oz. What I mean is that he was uncommitted to this iconic part, and it was definitely noticeable. Yes, there could have been a better Oz, maybe even his little brother Dave Franco could have been better. Another part that was better than Oz, but still kind of acting 101-ish was Mila Kunis as Theodora the Good. I love Mila Kunis, whole-heartedly, but Oz was not meant for her. She seemed like she was trying to appeal to children in a sense. Not even that, though, I just do not think Mila is a character actress, which is what this part required her to be.

After that, the movie itself was breathtaking. Cinema has come a long way since the original Oz. Also, this is not a kid movie, so please do not make that mistake, as there were a couple scenes that made me jump. Don't take my word for it though. See it for yourself and tell me what you think.