Oz the Great and Powerful is based off the Wizard of Oz novels and set as a spiritual prequel to the Wizard of Oz film. In it, it stars James Franco as Oz, who was a carnival magician until he was whisked away to the country of Oz. Once there, he learns that the king was poisoned and a prophecy held that a wizard will arrive from the sky and help liberate the kingdom the wicked witch. It is an interesting tale and one that you can enjoy much more if you are already familiar with the Wizard of Oz. While you know the ultimate fate of the characters being a prequel and all, it was still a great journey watching as they turn from the characters introduced into their more familiar personas. Of course, Oz himself is not a wizard in what the people thought but they don't know that. Thus, Oz uses his knowledge of misdirection, illusions and visual tricks to win the war and this leads to a satisfying ending. The film relies heavily on special effects which is a bit disappointing when they are such poor quality. Even the make up department for the wicked witch was too plastic and fake to hold seriously. Overall, Oz the Great and Powerful may not be the most original or the most exciting, but there are plenty of neat references that it does the trick and makes for an interesting prequel story.
