A small-time magician is swept away to an enchanted land and is forced into a power struggle between three witches.A small-time magician is swept away to an enchanted land and is forced into a power struggle between three witches.A small-time magician is swept away to an enchanted land and is forced into a power struggle between three witches.
- Director
- Writers
- Mitchell Kapner(screenplay)
- David Lindsay-Abaire(screenplay)
- L. Frank Baum("Oz" works)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Mitchell Kapner(screenplay)
- David Lindsay-Abaire(screenplay)
- L. Frank Baum("Oz" works)
- Stars
- Awards
- 6 wins & 31 nominations
Videos9
Abigail Spencer
- Mayas May
- (as Abigail Leigh Spencer)
- Director
- Writers
- Mitchell Kapner(screenplay) (screen story)
- David Lindsay-Abaire(screenplay)
- L. Frank Baum("Oz" works)
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. At first he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking. That all changes, however, when he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well. —Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Taglines
- Find yourself in Oz.
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaAt the start of the film, Oscar works with the "Baum Brothers Circus", which is hosted by Frank. L. Frank Baum was the original author of the Oz series. In the books, Oscar worked with Bailum & Barney Circus, an obvious spoonerism of Barnum & Bailey, and one of several such spoonerisms in Baum's work.
- GoofsWhen Oz and Theodora flee from the crash site, Theodora's boots are flat; moments later, when he boosts her into the cave, the boots have high heels.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits are seen in a 1930s nickelodeon, with certain credits having their own qualities:
- James Franco's credit appears in a puff of smoke
- Mila Kunis' credit appears alongside a couple dancing (whose shadow turns into that of the Wicked Witch)
- Rachel Weisz's credit is held by monkeys
- Michelle Williams' credit is contained within a bubble
- Zach Braff's credit appears with a puppet of Finley
- the make-up credits Greg Nicotero and Howard Bergman are seen with an eye mask
- VFX supervisor Scott Stokdyk's credit is seen within an optical illusion
- composer Danny Elfman's credit is seen with a trumpet
- the costume designers' credits are seen fitting clothes on an elephant
- production designer Robert Stromberg's credit is seen in China Town
- cinematographer Peter Deming's credit is seen with the projector
- the screenwriters' credit is seen within a tornado
- and director Sam Raimi's credit is seen within a crystal ball.
- Alternate versionsThe film was also shown in 3D. Some shots displaying 3D effects are exclusive to the 3D version, being altered or removed in the 2D cut.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Fantastic: Episode dated 17 February 2013 (2013)
- SoundtracksAlmost Home
Performed by Mariah Carey
Written by Simone Porter, Justin Gray, Lindsey Ray, Tor Erik Hermansen (as Tor Erik Hermansen), Mikkel Storleer Eriksen (as Mikkel Eriksen), and Mariah Carey
Produced by Mariah Carey and Stargate for 45th & 3rd Music LLC
Courtesy of Island Records
Top review
Enjoyable attempt to recapture old glory
That the original WIZARD OF OZ is a classic is pretty much a given, I think. It's hard to dislike a film that's so full of memorable scenes and characters, and Sam Raimi is the guy behind this prequel that attempts to show us a few back stories about some of the characters in the 1930s film. It's a mixed bag as a film overall, but it does recapture some of the old Raimi magic, and overall it's a film that's hard to dislike.
Certainly in a world of lacklustre ALICE IN WONDERLAND and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY adaptations, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL really stands out. The transition from black and white to full colour is a glorious one and the enhanced colour palette of the film really works. The whole journey is a visual treat, with excellent CGI backdrops and the like that really bring Oz to life in a way that in some cases is even more breath-taking than in WIZARD.
The central characters and their storyline are a little weaker, but still more than watchable. I'm a bit ambivalent when it comes to James Franco but I can appreciate that he does a good and thorough job here as the roguish magician thrown into a decidedly unnatural adventure. His companions in Oz are very well animated and brimming with character. Sadly, the witch storyline isn't so good; Michelle Williams is surprisingly effective, but Mila Kunis is miscast and Rachel Weisz is just poor. Nonetheless, although OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL has its detractors, I think it's a lot of simple, old-fashioned fun.
Certainly in a world of lacklustre ALICE IN WONDERLAND and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY adaptations, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL really stands out. The transition from black and white to full colour is a glorious one and the enhanced colour palette of the film really works. The whole journey is a visual treat, with excellent CGI backdrops and the like that really bring Oz to life in a way that in some cases is even more breath-taking than in WIZARD.
The central characters and their storyline are a little weaker, but still more than watchable. I'm a bit ambivalent when it comes to James Franco but I can appreciate that he does a good and thorough job here as the roguish magician thrown into a decidedly unnatural adventure. His companions in Oz are very well animated and brimming with character. Sadly, the witch storyline isn't so good; Michelle Williams is surprisingly effective, but Mila Kunis is miscast and Rachel Weisz is just poor. Nonetheless, although OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL has its detractors, I think it's a lot of simple, old-fashioned fun.
helpful•41
- Leofwine_draca
- Dec 29, 2015
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Brick
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $215,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $234,911,825
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $79,110,453
- Mar 10, 2013
- Gross worldwide
- $493,311,825
- Runtime2 hours 10 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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