Oz the Great and Powerful

Scott Hardie: “It was ok.”

I liked the part of the movie that they put the most care into, the whiz-bang CGI special effects, which made Oz a scary and wonderful place again. But some plot elements rubbed me the wrong way (spoilers below), and James Franco just isn't a leading man. It was nice to see so many major roles for women and girls, to the point where the male lead felt incidental to his own movie, but basing their behavior on such ugly stereotypes about women undid the progress. For a kids movie, you could do a lot worse.

− March 10, 2013 • more by Scott • log in or create an account to reply

Scott Hardie: This reply contains spoilers. Reveal it. − March 10, 2013 • more by Scott

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Erik Bates: “It was ok.”

Beautiful scenery and effects. I have completely forgotten the plot.

− December 9, 2013 • more by Erik • log in or create an account to reply

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Samir Mehta: “It was ok.”

I wanted to LOVE this movie. The opening sequence was masterful - Raimi shows that certain directors (a SHORT list of Ang Lee, Peter Jackson, and Raimi) can make 3D worth doing. But the storytelling somehow lets it all down. It's not a BAD movie, but ultimately the shadow of the Wizard of Oz can't be overcome. I saw this a few weeks before seeing Wicked the first time (which is a masterpiece) and it really hammered why this was mediocre - it doesn't expand the story as much as it should have. And, to Scott's points, yes there is a frustrating aspect to the depiction of the female leads - with so many female characters, it somehow still feels stifling in its depiction of women.

− December 9, 2013 • more by Samir • log in or create an account to reply

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