An ambitious magician (Franco) from Kansas is forced to flee the circus in a hot air balloon after angering the Strongman (Tim Holmes). When the balloon is caught in a tornado, the magician crashes in a strange colourful land known as Oz where the people believe he is a wizard prophesised to be their ruler.
A prequel to Frank L. Baum’s children story, The Wizard Of Oz, Oz: The Great And Powerful is directed by Sam Raimi of the Spiderman and Evil Dead trilogies and although, for legal reasons, the film distances itself from 1939 film adaptation of The Wizard Of Oz (by far the best known incarnation of the story) Raimi succeeds in creating and comparable world that also fits his own stylistic bent as a film-maker, most evident with its occasional use of dark humour, reminiscent of the Evil Dead franchise. The film is well cast, with James Franco making a charismatic lead that, if the film were made some fifteen years ago, probably would’ve gone to Raimi-fave Bruce Campbell (who is here, content with a cameo appearance). There are however problems with this film, namely that it’s too long, especially in the finale. Although the film is aimed at a more general-ages demographic than the 1939 Wizard Of Oz, the snaps, bangs and whistles do tire after a while. However, the film is engaging and emotive with some above-average 3D effects (even if they’re, as usual, gratuitous).
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