Growing up, my favorite time of the year was summer. It wasn’t because my sister and I were off from school, or because we would often spend time at our Grandmother’s house in Atlantic City. It wasn’t even because we spent every day lounging on the beach, which was only a couple of blocks away from the house. For me, at least, visiting Nana meant the one time a year we would see the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. Every summer (and perhaps during Christmas visits) we would watch this movie at least once over the course of my entire childhood, and its magical tale is part of what got me so interested in film in the first place.And that’s what makes Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful such a divisive film, at least at first glance. After all, I'm not the only one to consider The Wizard of Oz a great film - the American Film Institute named it the #10 movie of all time in 2007. The creation of a brand-new prequel not officially based on any of L. Frank Baum’s numerous (and public domain) novels can easily seem questionable, if not outright heresy. Certainly there might have been a bit of desperation involved; Raimi had to make up to genre fans after the poorly-received final act of his Spider-Man trilogy forced last year’s reboot of the franchise, and he also had to reassure production companies of his ability to sway the masses. Revisiting the colorful world of Oz presents much potential for entertainment, and if we must slog through what amounts to fan fiction to perhaps someday revisit Baum’s actual stories, it seems a small price to pay.But a price it still is. Focusing on the back-story of the titular wizard Oscar Diggs (James Franco), Oz the Great and Powerful introduces a clever circus magician with dreams of greatness to the magical world of Oz via a particularly violent whirlwind. Upon his arrival, the people – peasants and tinkers and munchkins all - believe him to be the prophesied “Wizard” who is supposed to save and then rule the kingdom after the death of their previous king. Being the opportunistic carney he is, Oscar is more than happy to use his trickery in furthering the belief that he is all-powerful. But when he meets three witches (Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams) who are skeptical of his abilities, Oscar learns that there is more to being the Wizard than he realized, and sees an opportunity to do good. Though he has no real magic, he decides to use what he can to free Oz from a Wicked Witch who terrorizes it, using his affinity for tricks to put on the greatest show of all.Despite not being based on an actual Baum classic, I found the story in Oz the Great and Powerful to be at least an interesting ride. Its best moments are a hodgepodge of genuine inspiration combined with allusions and winks to the classical world of Oz. From the reveal of Oscar’s full name to the black-and-white opening sequence to the character counterparts between the normal world and Oz, there are plenty of Easter Eggs for fans of the books or original movie to pick up in their adventure. While some scenes feel invariably shot to take advantage of the (no doubt studio-required) 3D imagery, Raimi does a good job building his world, and each location is both visually appealing and intricately designed to be as colorful as possible.But that’s exactly where Raimi stops being the innovative director we all loved when he was making Spider-Man and Army of Darkness. The first problem is his over-reliance on CGI special effects, reminiscent of Tim Burton’s mediocre Alice in Wonderland, which I guess shouldn’t be surprising as they share producer Joe Roth. Not only could Raimi’s Oz double for Burton’s Wonderland with ease, but it’ll be obvious to anybody who's seen the former that the latter is an almost perfect direct copy. I kept expecting a talking cat to materialize from nowhere, ramble about riddles and speak in endless metaphors. Raimi has typically been a visually imaginative director, but everything in Oz is derivative of somebody else’s hard work.The second issue I had was with the casting. None of the principle live-action actors invests their characters with much if any nuance. Shockingly, it’s two computer generated beings – a flying monkey in a bellhop outfit (voiced by Zach Braff) and a tiny animated China Doll (Joey King) who end up stealing the show as the heart of the movie, with everyone else disappointing badly. It’s sorry enough that the centerpiece of this whole façade is James Franco, a man whose popularity I’m not sure actually exists outside of Tinseltown, an actor who always seems to be acting, unwilling or unable to truly become a character. Considering Oscar Diggs’ charlatan aspirations, that might have been an intentional move here, but it doesn’t explain every other move Franco’s been in, in which he seems incapable of playing anybody but himself. Someone in Hollywood is convinced that Franco is a genuine superstar, but I just cannot see it. His boisterously-delivered dialogue and over-eager mannerisms might work on a New York stage, but this distinct lack of subtlety is what mars his cinematic performances, making him boorish and unpleasant to take in.And Franco isn’t even Oz’s worst offender. Everything about the three witches is plain wrong, from writing to casting to performances. The script by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner struggles mightily in giving the women any motivations beyond base desires, leaving three potentially intriguing characters with all the depth of a rain puddle. Not only do Kunis, Weisz and Williams have to deliver stupid dialogue for more than two hours, but they do so with all the enthusiasm of a depression seminar, making any of their scenes boring and trite. None of the three is well suited for their roles outside of looks, and even when the familiar green-skinned Witch makes her appearance (complete with S&M getup), the effect is far less than you might expect. In contrast, Braff and King are absolutely wonderful in their voice work, and their overly fun presence mitigates the errors around them to some degree.In the end, Oz the Great and Powerful is only fine, and as it turns out, that’s its biggest problem. Gone are the larger-than-life Oz and its magic, replaced by no shortage of technology and uneven and mediocre storytelling. Raimi’s fails to make his own way; he gives far too much credit to those who have traveled the Yellow Brick Road before him. Even when he’s celebrating the Oz we all know, it feels like it's done out of duty, not love. There’s always hope for a turnaround (a sequel is already being planned), but nothing in this movie will ever replace the feeling I used to get watching The Wizard of Oz at my grandmother’s house every summer. That classic was one I could still watch a hundred more times before I pass on. Meanwhile, I’ll probably never watch this wannabe again. John C. Anderson is a freelance writer and movie enthusiast living in Boston. His regular film reviews can be found at Hello, Mr. Anderson… you know, just in case you’re curious.
