'OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL'

'OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL' (PG-13) (2 STARS)

Written by Mitchell Kapner and Daid Lindsay-Abaire
Directed by Sam Raimi
Actors: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis, Joey King, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Tony Cox.

I give up when it comes to 3D and the lastest fantasy films geared towards kids and families. You have worn me down folks and I am really getting sad here. Despite a very few, the big Hollywood blockbuster fantasy movies these last few years are getting noisier, over stuffed and devoid of real imagination. This is exemplified in the very dissapointing "Oz, the Great and Powerful", another misguided attempt to cash in on the over rated classic "The Wizard Of Oz". Even though I am not a fan of the original, it is too creepy and I can't stand any of the thinly written and obvious characters, I still hoped that director Sam Raimi would make it fresh. This is a step up from the dreadful sequel "Return To Oz" but it still dissapoints with sound and fury that signifies nothing.

That is a shame because this movie had a chance to surprise me because it is a breathtaking movie visually but my rule is, if you have the visuals your story better move me and transport me to another world also. The visual effects are stunning and I love looking at the movie to a certain point but the 3D effects are not needed. They were not needed when I was younger and was blown away by "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" so why do we need them now? I think 3D is a curse because film makers, even Raimi who I love, are too busy trying to make things pop out at us that the story suffers. I wish these movies would take a chill pill and this is no exception, you are giving me a headache with explosions and projectiles and these 5 endings that accompany these movies also, no exception here.

I do like explosions and action and great visuals like I did last week with "Jack the Giant Slayer" because that movie was sweet, calm and somewhat fun and at least had heart. I found no heart what so ever here in any of the characters or the story. Let me count the ways this movie dissapointed me. First, James Franco, as feared, is woefully miscast as Oscar who will become the Wizard. Franco looks like he is either drunk, high or still hosting the Oscars. Then you have the witches played by two of my favorite actresses and the two most beautiful women in the movies. The smart and amazing Michelle Williams plays a character that is beneath her talents. Her Glinda is dull, too simple and not well written at all, she is portrayed as too much of a ditz. Mila Kunis as Theodora, who will become the Wicked Witch, is wasted also. We don't see much of her, we see the boring Rachel Weisz character who is the sister of Theodora more so. Also when Kunis transforms into the Wicked Witch the make up looks terrible and it is too late, the movie is minutes from being over.

The movie is stolen by a thirteen year old actress named Joey King who plays this really cool looking China Doll and that character was fun, funny and awesome to see come to life. So that smart young actress and some cool visals is all I got out of this movie. There is an annoying talking monkey voiced by Zach Braff, oh and that monkey is ugly and creepy. Then after the dull beginning we get the last 45 minutes of a sound and light show full of chaotic action that made me want to scream and run out of the theatre. Here I am going back to the problem here with these fantasy movies and surprisingly this one. We get a lot of explosions and messy action and I didn't care what happens because I didn't like or care about anyone in this movie except for a charming china doll.

I am shocked that Sam Raimi, who I love and who made great and twisted movies like "Darkman", "Drag Me To Hell" and made us care with his "Spiderman" franchise, copped out here and sold out. "Oz" is not creepy like the original, it isn't fun, interesting or awe inspiring. I would have least thought that Raimi wouldn't have gotten soft like he does here and would have added some twisted humor besides a drunk Oscar character and an annoying monkey. What is wrong with movies like "Oz" these days when decades ago movies like "Star Wars", "Ladyhawke" and even "The Last Starfighter" told sweet stories with characters we cared about and gave us visuals without throwing stuff at us at a rapid pace, giving us 3D and not letting us breathe. "Oz" wore me out in a bad way and when you have "Harry Potter" recently wowing us you better step up your game Hollywood.

P.S. When I write that 3D should be stifled I do however think movies like "Avatar" and "Life Of Pi" and only movies like that should be allowed to use it. Also I am not a fan of the original and I do think kids will like this movie but I hope better movies are coming for them.