Meh, I say. More like Oz the Dull and Feckless.
Director Sam Raimi’s trip back to the Emerald City dazzles and sparkles in parts, but only intermittently and never with any true emotion.
In fact, so many things have gone horribly wrong in the Land of Oz that it took me a while to register this as a smudge on Raimi’s resumé.
Beyond the overreliance on CGI effects, a dull screenplay and Mila Kunis’ crucial and atrocious performance, what truly astonishes me is how GENERIC the whole affair feels. Oz reeks of corporate meddling and board-table rewrites and is sorely missing the telltale zing of Raimi’s most rambunctious and influential films. Aside from a few signature jerk/zoom camera gesticulations, pretty much ANYONE could’ve directed this movie.
Alas, the mere fact that the finished product has grossed a half billion dollars worldwide guarantees we’ll likely get sequels offering more of the same.
To ease the sting of this thought, here are a few of my favorite picks from Raimi’s more glorious days, all of them recommended to wash the bitter taste of Oz the Great and Powerful from any offended palate.
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