OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL-Yer A Wizard James

Synopsis-Oscar Diggs, a womanizing, con artist/magician, is thrown into a world known as Oz, a strange and magical place under turmoil from a wicked witch. Oscar is deemed as the savior upon meeting certain requirements from the lands "prophecy", Oscar, now dubbed as Oz by the residents, is tasked with solving their issues, despite his own selfish desires.



Oz The Great and Powerful is beautiful to look at, the colors are great, the effects offer much beauty, and the costumes are well done.Offering the exact kind of beauty I expected in seeing Oz being brought to a modern day film, the land is vibrant, unlike a lot of modern updates of classic fantasy stories that seem to want to move away from colorful settings. The CGI really helps in capturing the beauty of the land, making it full of the same charm as the classic 1939 Wizard of Oz. Plenty of actors on screen are seen with great wardrobe, very reminiscent of the classic film, a nice touch that really goes a long way in representing the world and its tone.

The film does not offer the most original story in the world, but it does know how to keep it interesting, using entertaining characters, a fun reference to the classic film every now and then, but most importantly it avoids using the gritty tone most have come to expect from modern updates of classic stories, it doesn't avoid dark scenes, it just knows that it isn't all about it. References are nice and abundant here, without ever feeling too annoying about them, like the way the film opens or the actors appearing, amongst other things. There is a nice lighthearted feel to it all, with the occasional dark, frightening sequence that helps the film feel reminiscent of classic family films, light enough for a young audience to watch, while understanding that even kids like a good scare. If there's one thing I ended up appreciating the most is that this avoids using the tired big climatic battle that has been used in fantasy films ever since The Lord of the Rings made it popular, it's a pretty well thought out surprise attack meant to to trick the villains, and it works, it's always a pleasure to see something a little different.

This trip to the beautiful world of Oz offers plenty of it's own characters, including some nice performances from the women on screen. . The best character in the film though, is easily the China Girl played by Joey King, a little girl made of porcelain (hence the name) who joins Oz on his trek to defeat the Wicked Witch, giving the best lines, the most heartfelt and fun moments in the entire film, China Girl is the character most people will walk away remembering, adoring, and wanting more of, brought to life through puppetry and CG effects.

Overall, Oz The Great and Powerful is not the classic film in terms of quality, but it is a very fun time, bringing some much needed joy that's often forgotten in recent fantasy films, as well as maturity in recent family films.

P.S. Before the question ever pops in mind, yes Bruce Campbell appears in this briefly, enjoy.

Written By Octaviano Macias