Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.
That's why the more you like the Judy Garland film, the more you might appreciate Oz the Great and Powerful. Appreciate. Enjoy. Admire. Be glad to see. Have fun with ... But as for love - well, love will be harder to come by. Read full review
Nothing in it comes close to the magic, the originality or the everlasting entertainment value of the original, which only cost $2.777 million and didn’t use a single computer-generated graphic. This says more about how much better movies were in 1939 than they are today. Still, I had enough fun to predict that history (or at least a tiny piece of it) seems destined to repeat itself. People just can’t get enough of this stuff. Read full review
It's familiar enough to be comfortable but not so familiar that it feels worn and repetitive. Read full review
Oz the Great and Powerful tells the story of how the Wizard came to Oz, answering a question I suspect no one was asking, but with considerable digital wizardry. Read full review
The film is stuffed with three endings too many. You can't blame Raimi for wanting to give us our money's worth. But after a while, you just want him to get to the Happily Ever After already. Read full review
Which is precisely what’s missing from Oz the Great and Powerful: that sense of emotional journey. Read full review
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
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
Oz the Great and Powerful, like so many products of movie studios that have lost their way, is a Tin Man of epic proportions — bright and shiny, with no heart. Read full review
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
3.5
Dave White Profile
Fairy tale film crisis averted. Read full review
Exclusive Cast Interviews James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz talk about creating their characters based on Frank Baum's books and did Sam Raimi think about turning this movie into a musical? Exclusive Interview: James Franco James Franco chats about working with Sam Raimi again, interacting with CG flying monkeys and his connection with Playboy and Hugh Hefner. Which Latina Actress Would You Cast as the Next 'Oz' Witch? Describe James Franco in One Word