James Franco plays Oscar Diggs, a small-time magician from Kansas who gets swept into a storm and lands in the Land of Oz. There he meets three witches — Theodora, Evanora, and Glinda — and a flying monkey named Finley. He is told he is the great wizard who will save the kingdom from the Wicked Witch of the West. What he finds instead is a power struggle, a broken promise, and a man who knows he is not the hero everyone expects him to be.
The film is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, set before Dorothy arrives. It follows Oscar as he tries to escape Oz, fails, and eventually learns to be the person the kingdom needs. It is a children’s story about responsibility, but it is also a story about a con artist who has to stop lying to himself.
Trailer, via Disney UK.
Oscar’s Kansas Act
The movie opens in Kansas, where Oscar performs magic tricks for a crowd of farmhands. He is charming, quick, and entirely dishonest. He sells a trick as a miracle, and the audience buys it. That is the whole of his character: a performer who knows exactly what people want to see and gives it to them.
Franco plays Oscar with a restless energy that fits the role. He is not a great actor, but he is a good one for this part. His Oscar is a liar who tells the truth only when he has to. The performance works because the script gives him room to play both sides of the coin — the smooth talker and the scared man underneath.
The early scenes in Kansas establish why Oz is a trap. Oscar is running from his past, from a failed relationship and a dead-end job. Oz offers him a chance to start over, but it is a lie. The moment he realizes he cannot leave is the crux of the film: he has to choose between being the man he pretended to be and becoming the man he actually is.
The Three Witches
Theodora, Evanora, and Glinda are the heart of the film. They are played by Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and Mila Kunis, respectively. Each brings her own energy to the screen.
Theodora is the first witch Oscar meets. She is warm, maternal, and genuinely kind. She believes in him, and that belief drives the plot forward. Weisz plays her with a softness that makes her betrayal later land harder.
Evanora is the queen of Oz, and she is a cold, calculating woman. She wants power, and she sees Oscar as a means to get it. Her scenes with Oscar are tense, and her motivations are clear. Williams plays her with a quiet menace that makes her feel dangerous.
Glinda is the good witch, and she is the one who saves the day. She is smart, funny, and loyal. She knows Oscar is not the great wizard, but she trusts him anyway. Kunis plays her with a lightness that grounds the film’s darker moments. She is the reason the ending works.
The three witches are the best part of the film. Their interactions drive the story, and their arcs give the movie its emotional weight. Oscar’s journey is not just about becoming a wizard; it is about learning to trust these women, even when they are not trustworthy.
Finley and the Flying Monkeys
Finley is Oscar’s companion throughout the film. He is a talking monkey, played by Zach Braff, who has a crush on Glinda. He is also a coward, which makes him a perfect foil for Oscar’s own fear.
Braff plays Finley with a nervous energy that fits the role. His scenes are often comic, but they also show a side of Oscar that is rarely seen. Finley is afraid of everything, and Oscar has to protect him. That dynamic gives the film a warmth that the other characters lack.
The flying monkeys are the film’s villains. They are led by the Wicked Witch of the West, who is never shown in full. Instead, the film focuses on the damage she causes. This is a clever choice, as it keeps the threat abstract and makes the film less about a showdown and more about survival.
Finley and the flying monkeys are the film’s comic relief. They provide moments of levity, but they also serve a practical purpose. Finley helps Oscar escape, and the monkeys are the reason he has to fight at all.
The Storm and the Castle
The storm that sweeps Oscar into Oz is the film’s central image. It is a tornado, and it is terrifying. The film shows it in full, with Oscar trapped in a hot air balloon as the wind tears everything apart. It is a visual that stays with you.
The castle of Oz is the film’s setting. It is grand, golden, and empty. The throne room is a hollow shell, and the guards are loyal only to Evanora. The castle is a lie, and Oscar knows it from the moment he arrives. That knowledge drives his entire arc.
The storm and the castle are the film’s visual anchors. They give the story a sense of scale and danger. Without them, the film would feel smaller. They make Oz feel like a real place, not just a backdrop.
The Lie Behind the Throne
The film’s central conflict is Oscar’s lie. He pretends to be the great wizard, and he has to keep pretending to survive. The problem is that the lie grows. People start to believe him, and he cannot stop them.
The film explores this idea through Oscar’s relationship with Glinda. She knows he is not the wizard, but she still trusts him. That trust is a gift, and Oscar has to earn it. He has to learn to be honest, even when honesty costs him.
The climax of the film is Oscar’s confrontation with Evanora. He has to choose between saving himself and saving the kingdom. He chooses the kingdom, and that choice defines him. It is a simple arc, but it is effective.
The film’s message is that responsibility is not a choice. It is a burden, and you have to carry it. Oscar learns that lesson, and the film ends with him ready to face it.
The Music and the Songs
The music in the film is by Danny Elfman. It is orchestral, sweeping, and emotional. The songs are performed by Oscar, and they are the weakest part of the film. They are forgettable, and they do not add anything to the story.
The songs are the film’s weakest link. They are pleasant, but they are not memorable. They do not advance the plot, and they do not deepen the characters. They are filler, and the film would be better without them.
The score, on the other hand, is excellent. Elfman knows how to build tension and release it. The castle scenes are scored with a sense of dread, and the final confrontation is scored with a sense of triumph. The music is the film’s emotional backbone.
The Final Battle
The final battle is a spectacle. Oscar fights the Wicked Witch of the West’s forces, and he wins. The battle is well-choreographed, but it is not the point. The point is that Oscar has learned to fight for something.
The film ends with Oscar accepting his role. He is not the great wizard, but he is the man who can do the job. He is not a liar anymore. He is a leader.
The final scene is a callback to the opening. Oscar performs a trick for a crowd, but this time it is real. The crowd cheers, and Oscar smiles. It is a happy ending, but it is earned.
A Good Children’s Story
Oz the Great and Powerful is a good children’s story. It has a clear arc, relatable characters, and a moral. It is not a great film, but it is a competent one.
The film’s strengths are its performances and its visuals. The weaknesses are its songs and its pacing. The film drags in the middle, and some scenes feel padded. It is a film that could have been tighter.
The film’s legacy is mixed. It is a prequel, and it sets up the world for The Wizard of Oz. It is also a standalone story, and it works on its own. It is a film that will be remembered, but not fondly.
| Scene | Time |
|---|---|
| Opening in Kansas | 5 minutes |
| Arrival in Oz | 10 minutes |
| Meeting the witches | 15 minutes |
| The castle of Oz | 20 minutes |
| The final battle | 10 minutes |
| Closing scene | 5 minutes |
The Verdict
Oz the Great and Powerful is a solid, if flawed, film. It is not a great film, but it is a good one. It has its problems, but it also has its strengths. It is a film that rewards attention, even if it does not demand it.
The film’s score is 5.6 out of 10.
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