Independent Cinema writes: From beautiful landscapes to a big name cast, Oz: The Great and Powerful had all the promise of a wonderful visit back to the land of Oz. Even from the opening moments of the film and the transportation from Kansas to Oz, the film still had me by the hooks, and I felt like maybe my worries of the film being another Alice in Wonderland debacle could be put aside. James Franco’s character, Oz, is immediately unlikable but there’s an element to him that makes the audience care about him: he has aspirations. He’s in this magical world which immediately impresses with its visual style, and there’s a nice cast of supporting characters that add humor and charm to the overall film. Yet, Oz: The Great and Powerful still winds up being almost as lifeless as Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland remake (comparisons are difficult not to make), resulting in yet another aesthetically brilliant film from Disney, with no real soul to it.
You go into a movie thinking the main character is the good guy and then BAM–you had it all wrong.
MAI Review (2024): Phuong Anh Dao and Tran Thanh sparkle the brighest in this overdramatic movie.
One of 2023's biggest and dumbest creature features is making waves right now on streaming around the world.
