Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)

Directed by: Sam Raimi
Country: USA

Review: Sam Raimi provoked some creeps with “Drag Me To Hell”, but certainly won’t go far on illusionism. “Oz The Great and Powerful” is a boring fantasy film that tells the story of Oscar Diggs, an ambitious magician from Kansas who flees from the Earth in a balloon to enter the mysterious Land of Oz. Once there, after being proclaimed king, he will join forces with a well-intentioned witch named Glinda. Their goal consists in liberating the people of Oz from the hands of the wicked witch Theadora, and her cursed sister Eleanora. The fantasy is taken to its limits in such a way that watching Oz is almost like watching animation; in a land filled with strange creatures such as winged monkeys or talkative dolls, we can also witness fireworks, rays, halos, and balls of fire, which help composing the flamboyant scenarios. Since the beginning, the possible moments of tension were taken lightly, with humor and relaxation, which made me discredit the forthcoming dangers that might appear. Moreover, I was expecting something less childish both on plot and approach. The performance by James Franco was one of the few positive aspects from a film that only tries to catch your senses with innumerous deceptive visual tricks. Like the wizard himself, this film reveled to be a fraud.