Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
N/A
Gut und böse
cinegeek.de - wrote on 04/14/2016
Kann man gleichzeitig eine gute UND eine böse Hexe sein bzw. ein bisschen von beidem? Man müsste darüber diskutieren, denn dieser Punkt ist eines der Probleme an Sam Raimis Oz. Michelle Williams und Mila Kunis spielen frühe Ausgaben von Glinda "the Good Witch" und "The Wicked Witch of the West" - beziehungsweise. Wenn wir aber nun an das Original der "Wicked Witch" denken: Sie lehrte ganzen Generationen das Fürchten. Und Kunis? Sie sieht aus als ob sie geradewegs von einer Halloween Party käme. Williams, eine der besten Schauspielerinnen ihrer Generation wirkt allerhöchstens fade. Doch die Geschichte beginnt in einem Zirkus: Oscar »Oz« Diggs (James Franco) arbeitet dort als Magier und führt seine Tricks immer und immer wieder vor. Viel lieber benutzt er seinen schmierigen …
Rating of
2.5/4
Neither great nor powerful
sreekirch - wrote on 07/28/2013
Neither great nor powerful enough, but it has the heart at various points and the ultimate humor that works on to entertain for the final act. Director Sam Raimi, introduces the film with old and classy way , then suddenly bedazzles with rich colors and the land of Oz. James Franco was almost wasted for most of the film, with gimmick tricks , slapstick humor and most of all an idiotic and silly characterization. But looks like, Raimi has kept his best part for the last act. There is a sudden trick there and Franco brings the spark to his character, in the most entertaining way. I did not care much about the female characters. The Giant wicked witch looked sober and clumsy. The assistant is also badly shaped up. Michelle Williams who appears twice in the film, takes the leading role to …
Rating of
1.5/4
Great? Not so much..
theCriticalMarisa - wrote on 07/19/2013
Everything the Wizard of Oz IS, this movie ISN'T. There's no magic and whimsy. The actors try very hard to fake innocence and to have a whimsical air about them and just come off very fake and wooden. The casting was horrible. James Franco is not a leading man. He has absolutely no charisma. And when you're playing a philandering magician, you need charisma. I didn't see a wizard or a character. I saw James Franco in a funny suit, acting like an idiot. Mila Kunis was laughable. Michelle Williams was a dufas. What happened?? Rachel Weisz was ok. The best characters were the minor ones, like China Doll and Finley and guess what? They're animated!
The only real points I can give this movie are for style. It's very visually striking, but even the effects fail sometimes. There are scenes …
Rating of
1.5/4
Oz the Great and Powerful
worleyjamers - wrote on 06/29/2013
I honestly really disliked this film; this is not a bad film, but it had a lot of major problems in my opinion. The visuals were okay, I just really have a hard time getting immersed into a film when everything is clearly computer generated; I literally felt like I was watching a cartoon at times. The tone awkwardly switched between sweet and silly, to dark and ominous, the combo really didn't work. I liked the performances, they may have been underwhelming at best, but I enjoyed the lead performances. The main problem I had with the film is that, for the most part, I was completely bored. I thought the finale was great; the last 20-30 minutes were really entertaining and also added to the original 1939 film. As for the rest of the 90 minute running length though, well, I couldn't wait …
Rating of
2/4
Oz The Great and Powerful review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 05/28/2013
Oscar Diggs (James Franco) escapes an angry circus strongman and is transported to another world by a tornado. He falls for Theodora (Mila Kunis) who believes he is the wizard fit for the Land of Oz. Diggs also meets Evanora, the Wicked Witch of the East (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (Michelle Williams). The original 1939’s The Wizard Of Oz is a classic in itself is a far cry from this version. It however shows the history of Oscar and how the witches came about. The visual effects and score were wonderful as well, Unfortunately, it lacks any type of charm from its predecessor. Uninteresting/unbelievable acting from some of the females and a lack of role from the always effective Zach Braff. Overall, Oz the great is a decent watch just to find out the …
Rating of
2.5/4
GREAT and POWERFUL
Rod - wrote on 05/11/2013
A circus magician named Oz destined to be a hero to another world finds himself on such dilemmas in an adventure which both overwhelms him and him overwhelms the others. It is now his trick versus the great and powerful magic of the fantasy world.
***
First thing, I am not really sure if I liked the idea of opening sequences, especially the transition from a black and white, square frame to a wide screen colorful world of Oz. It kinda turned me off, but I know what it supposed to do. Anyway, I cannot deny the fact that this film was not really for me, I mean, I did not like it that much maybe because I think it is for kids. So let me critique it in a perspective fair for it to be judged. As a person who have read The Wizard of Oz, it is kind of interesting where "Oz" came from, on …
Rating of
2/4
This isn't a film; it's a product
JLFM - wrote on 03/17/2013
After the success of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, there have been several attempts at remaking classics fantasies with a new twist and/or with expensive special effects. In fact, it's incredible that Disney has waited this long to release another high-profile fantasy flick. Though this might indicate that Disney is really taking their time to craft a quality product, it actually turns out to be quite the opposite. Oz the Great and Powerful is a soulless and hugely disappointing production that clearly exists only to make money.
Oscar Diggs, a sleazy magician, has his world turned upside down when he's swept into the land of Oz. He's quickly proclaimed as a prophecy-fulfilling wizard, who is now responsible for getting rid of the Wicked Witch. Teamed with a flying monkey named …
Rating of
2.5/4
Raimi should stick to Evil Dead & Spiderman films
Lee - wrote on 03/13/2013
To see this on the big screen enhances the spellbinding sets and cgi that were used within this film however that being said sadly was all to look forward too. I am still shaking my head to people that are comparing this to the Victor Fleming directed 1939 original starring Judy Garland, either stating that it was just as good or if not better!! There should be no comparison of the two cause they are night and day in my opinion.
James Franco as an actor has more downs then ups and this most certainly is a down yet once again. I know this dude has acting chops however only chooses to emit them on occasion. Director Sam Raimi should be severly scolded for casting him as Oz the great as it totally fell flat.
Another problem was casting Mena Kunis (Ted, That 70's Show) as the evil …
Rating of
2.5/4
Oz Lost Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Lauren - wrote on 03/12/2013
"Oz The Great and Powerful" is one of those movies that gets reviews with extreme range. Some have said that the audacity of anyone to take on this project doomed it from the start. Others will go on and on about how beautiful and magical it is. I sit squarely in the middle.
The Good:
The World of Oz:
Is gorgeous. Sam Rami was inspired when he created his version of the World of Oz. It is a gorgeous technicolor dream with nearly flawless CGI work. This is one of the few instances when someone fully utilizes 3D effects to better a movie. There is a reference to the "Alice in Wonderland" remake but only in that "Alice" felt like the dry run for CGI work while "Oz" is the finished product. Rami's vision brings Dorthy's World of Oz to new life in the 21st century.
Some …
Rating of
3/4
Review: Oz the Great and Powerful
MikePA - wrote on 03/10/2013
Being that The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite movies, I was a bit skeptical about Oz the Great and Powerful when I first heard about it. I was happy to see Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and Evil Dead trilogy) on board to direct the film, but I was curious to see if he'll manage to sustain the magic and the wonder throughout like The Wizard of Oz beautifully did instead of going all dark and edgy like most movies nowadays. The trailers had me hopeful. Besides looking really exciting, it looked like it executed what the land of Oz truly is - a beautiful and magical paradise with some lurking darkness. I'm happy to say that Sam Raimi does a terrific job of reinventing the land of Oz, filling it with many wonderful sights and creatures and cities that all look outstanding.
The film …
