Oz The Great And Powerful

2.5 Stars (out of four)

First, is Oz, The Great and Powerful, a bad movie?  No, it is not.  Next, is it great, a worthy successor (or in his case, predecessor) to The Wizard of Oz?  Well, no, it's not that, either.  But let's be honest, what would a worthy successor to The Wizard of Oz be?  We are speaking of one of the greatest movies ever made by any yardstick, a cultural milestone that one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has not seen it.  Any attempt to outdo it will be severely criticized.  It is one of those movies, that because of our shared childhood experience with it, has made it even bigger than it actually is.  Similar movies include It's A Wonderful Life, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Star Wars.  Now, with that said, just how good/bad is Oz, The Great and Powerful?

The answer is pretty good.  When one goes into this film, they have to put aside any expectations and just enjoy it for what it is, a good, fun romp in the land of Oz.  Not particularly deep (this is a children's movie, after all), but filled with a lot a spectacle and eye-popping imagery.  Incidentally, if you are wondering whether the 3D serves the movie, it really doesn't.  You could watch the 2D version and still be wowed.  The basic plotline without spoilers is that James Franco plays Oscar (Oz) Diggs, a two-bit carny magician and con man who is swept away in a tornado to the magical Land of Oz.  When he arrives, he finds the land is under the heel of the cruel wicked witch, who killed the last king.  But there is a prophesy that says a wizard named Oz will fall from the sky and deliver the land from its suffering be defeating the witch.  Oz thinks this is his golden opportunity to hustle a huge amount of gold and goes along with it.  Along the way, he sees the result of his con is that people actually do believe in him, causing the good in him to come out and fight against the wicked witch.

If I had any real criticism of the film, it's that it reflects the cynical age and sensibility in which it was made.  While the truth about Oz is the big reveal in the first film, the constant theme throughout this one is that Oz (Oscar), is a fraud and a con.  Worse yet, Glinda, the good witch, whose father was killed by the wicked witch, realizes this and yet pushes Oz to fill the role of savior anyway because that is what the people need.  While I realize this is the real world, must we introduce kids to this cynicism so soon?  Machiavelli via Dr. Seuss?  Why can't there be a few years where kids can just be kids?  They will learn the horrors of this world soon enough.  What's even more insidious is this very tactic has been used by most dictators in history.  Josef Goebbels once said that if a lie is big enough, everyone will believe it.  This is exactly what the film practices, lie to bring about the greater good.  While there is also a strong line of redemption through it as well, I just can't help but see the jaded heart that beats underneath.  And that makes me sad.  That this is the message we feel we must pass on to children, the ends always justify the means.  A lesser criticism, mostly to the writing, is that there is a lot of very modern turns of phrase.  This immediately dates the film and takes away from its timeless appeal.

So, if you put your expectations on hold and watch the film in and of itself, you may find yourself entertained.  I know I was.