Oz the Great and Powerful

Name: Oz the Great and Powerful
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Family
Released: March 8, 2013
Duration: 130 min
Rating: 44
Cast: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz

2013

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 42 Critics

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 505 Ratings

See All

6.1

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6.1	Your Score
6.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 505 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

Movie Details & Credits

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: March 8, 2013

Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz

Summary: A small-time magician is swept away to the enchanted land of Oz and is forced into a power struggle between three witches.

Director: Sam Raimi

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 130 min

See All Details and Credits

Awards & Rankings

27	#27 Most Discussed Movie of 2013
55	#55 Most Shared Movie of 2013

Watch Now

Buy On

Stream On

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Empire - Kim Newman

Mar 4, 2013

If there are post-Harry Potter children who don’t know or care about The Wizard of Oz, they might be at sea with this story about a not-very-nice grownup in a magic land, but long-term Oz watchers will be enchanted and enthralled. There’s even a musical number, albeit an abbreviated one. Mila Kunis gets a gold star for excellence in bewitchery and Sam Raimi can settle securely behind the curtain as a mature master of illusion. Read full review

McClatchy-Tribune News Service - Roger Moore

Mar 5, 2013

The cast, plainly packed with second or third choices, lets it down. Is there anything in James Franco’s past that suggests larger-than-life, a fast-talking, womanizing con-man? And the three witches – Theodora, Evanora and Glinda – are Bland, Blander and Blond Bland. Read full review

Chicago Sun-Times - Richard Roeper

Mar 6, 2013

Some of the surprises in Oz the Great and Powerful, the much-anticipated "Wizard of Oz" origins movie, are delightful. Others, however, sink the movie just below the point of recommendation, with the primary drawback falling on the lovely shoulders of Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis, as early versions of Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively. Read full review

The A.V. Club - Scott Tobias

Mar 6, 2013

Much of Oz The Great And Powerful’s fate is tied to James Franco’s performance as Oz, and the center barely holds, with Franco often looking as overwhelmed by the task as he was by his hosting job on Oscar night. Read full review

Rolling Stone - Peter Travers

Mar 7, 2013

There's no Judy Garland songs, no Scarecrow, no Tin Man, no Cowardly Lion. There's also no simplicity, no magic, no truth. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - Todd McCarthy

Mar 1, 2013

A miscast James Franco and a lack of charm and humor doom Sam Raimi's prequel to the 1939 Hollywood classic. Oz the Wimpy and Weak would be more like it. Read full review

New York Daily News - Elizabeth Weitzman

Mar 7, 2013

Don’t be fooled by the smoke and mirrors. There is nothing here that is great, or powerful. Worst of all, there’s nothing here that even feels like Oz. Read full review

SEE ALL 42 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

gamesreflexoes

Mar 8, 2013

This is a awesome movie, do not believe in haters from critic, these people don't like popular movies. Oz is a movie to the people, to Disney fans around the world.

6 of 15 users found this helpful69

kickme22

Apr 27, 2013

Oz is in my opinion, a masterpiece. This movie is a prequel to the original book and brings with it all the wonder and whimsy of the Land of Oz. The CGi isn't photorealistic, but this lends to that whimsy. It indicates that this world is something different and fantastical. The "shallow"Oz is in my opinion, a masterpiece. This movie is a prequel to the original book and brings with it all the wonder and whimsy of the Land of Oz. The CGi isn't photorealistic, but this lends to that whimsy. It indicates that this world is something different and fantastical. The "shallow" story is the result of this being a world for children. It isn't supposed to be dark or gritty, it is supposed to be clean and innocent.

All I can say is watch this movie while keeping in mind the source material.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Trev29

Jun 24, 2013

You can dissect this movie in every way and find a way to degrade it to the original, or you can take it for what it is. It is a delightful treat to see great visuals with wonderful characters.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

eagleeyeviking

Nov 29, 2013

Oz lacks the magic of its source material and might just be too dark and dull for young viewers. James Franco gives an uninspired performance and to say that a china doll was the best character sums it all up. It's visuals dazzle though.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

lukechristiansc

Sep 23, 2014

From Director Sam Raimi the guy who brought you (Evil Dead , Spiderman trilogy , drag me to hell) comes his new magical movie. Let me just say Sam Raimi is the horror expert i do not know why Raimi decided to direct oz the great and powerful he is already a legend with directing horrificFrom Director Sam Raimi the guy who brought you (Evil Dead , Spiderman trilogy , drag me to hell) comes his new magical movie. Let me just say Sam Raimi is the horror expert i do not know why Raimi decided to direct oz the great and powerful he is already a legend with directing horrific pictures like Evil Dead , Darkman , Spiderman. Raimi works again with James franco which this movie proves that franco is a nothing but a frail and a rip off for a magician,). The movie also stars Mila Kunis , Michelle Williams , Rachel Weiz , Zac Braff as the monkey , Joey King as the voice of the doll. a good cast makes the perfect recipe for a good movie. Grade B- ( If your a fan of the wizard of oz or Sam Raimi's spider man trilogy you'll love this one)… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

cewatmu

Mar 19, 2013

I was really hoping this would be a good film. I grew up in the 1990s and used to watch The Wizard of Oz every year with my family for Thanksgiving as a kid. And to my surprise, at the age of 23, I can still say it's one of my favorite movies of all-time. With that said, I knew 'Oz: TheI was really hoping this would be a good film. I grew up in the 1990s and used to watch The Wizard of Oz every year with my family for Thanksgiving as a kid. And to my surprise, at the age of 23, I can still say it's one of my favorite movies of all-time. With that said, I knew 'Oz: The Great and Powerful' could never reach the status of the original. I just wish I could have liked it enough to walk out of the theater satisfied, and wanting to buy it on Blu-ray. I didn't. Another reviewer mentioned how this is a kid's movie, not a family movie. I couldn't agree more. And it's such a shame, because kids aren't that stupid. Or at least, you don't have to reduce them to that. I appreciated The Wizard of Oz as a kid because Judy Garland was beautiful, and believable, the Witch was scary, and all the side characters played a crucial role in the story. In Oz: The Great and Powerful, I never became attached to any of the main characters (namely James Franco and Mila Kunis), and the side characters felt more like extras from Shrek (except they stayed on screen far longer than they should have). All in all, the semi-clever ending wasn't too bad, and to me, that's what saved the film. If not for that, the poor structure in the first half of the film, and the misplaced acting (Franco and Kunis are good actors, but weren't meant for this film) would have killed it for me. Rent it, or wait for it to come out on Netflix, it's not necessarily worth going to the theater for.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Goddessof_Blah

Mar 17, 2013

Juvenile, awful directorship, an unfortunate use of 3D (incomparable to Ang Lee's use of 3D Life of Pi) which gave me a terrible headache. The woeful attempt at homour was absurd.
Unsophisticated with banal motivational lines about believing blah blah. The actors possessed little actingJuvenile, awful directorship, an unfortunate use of 3D (incomparable to Ang Lee's use of 3D Life of Pi) which gave me a terrible headache. The woeful attempt at homour was absurd.
Unsophisticated with banal motivational lines about believing blah blah. The actors possessed little acting skills, with perhaps the exception of Michelle Williams who managed to portray a tolerable (but not exceptional) Glinda and Rachel Weisz (who wasn't at her best). James Franco's Oz was extremely annoying and if that's what the director hoped to achieve then he accomplished this feat extremely well. However, the dangers of manifesting the egotistical, greedy and seedy characteristics of Oz without any charming offsetting traits has its disadvantages.Consequently, I felt no empathy with any of the characters with the exception of Theodora (despite Mila Kuni's poor performance) one managed to garner some understanding relating to her hatred of the Wizard (however, I attribute that due to my own feelings of contempt towards him). This film has not lived up to its exceptions but I blame Disney for appointing a terrible Director. With a huge budget it could have done so much more.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

SEE ALL 160 REVIEWS