Oz the Great and Powerful (Blu-ray + Digital Copy)

an enchanting film that offers a family-friendly adventure set in the magical land of Oz. The movie provides a captivating storyline that balances excitement with moral lessons, making it suitable for children and adults alike. The visual effects are stunning, creating a vibrant and whimsical world that draws viewers into the story while keeping the atmosphere light-hearted and fun. Kids will appreciate the colorful characters and settings, while adults can enjoy the film’s clever nods to the original “Wizard of Oz” and its underlying themes of courage, kindness, and personal growth. The film features valuable messages about self-discovery, teamwork, and the importance of doing the right thing, making it a great conversation starter for families. As the protagonist, Oscar Diggs, transitions from a selfish magician to a hero who learns to care for others, children can witness his character development and understand the significance of empathy and bravery. The supporting characters, such as the kind-hearted China Girl and loyal Finley the flying monkey, add to the story’s charm and provide positive role models for young viewers, highlighting themes like friendship and loyalty. Additionally, “Oz the Great and Powerful” maintains a family-friendly tone throughout, with humor that appeals to all ages and action scenes that are thrilling without being too intense for young viewers. The film’s PG rating ensures that it avoids overly scary moments, making it suitable for a family movie night. The balance of humor, magic, and meaningful messages allows families to enjoy the film together, creating a shared experience that is both entertaining and insightful. It’s a movie that invites families to explore the land of Oz while reinforcing valuable life lessons along the way.

I'm uncertain why this film is getting so many negative reviews. I found it to be an extremely well-done prequel that blended the classic film with modern visual effects and contemporary pacing. I watched Great and Powerful back-to-back with "Wizard of Oz" and "Return to Oz" and it honestly came off as the strongest of the three from my 2014 perspective. That's a skewed viewpoint as the three cross copyright issues and decades and are all very different in their presentation but it does illustrate that Great and Powerful is a very solid film in its own right. The 3D effects are top-notch with all the tracking and masking done right. The shortfalls you see in a film like John Carter are gone. Everything works and it works well. The film also does its own tribute to the classic's presentation, not only shifting from black and white to color but also from 1930s movie screen standard to widescreen as we enter the magical land of Oz. The visuals are well-thought out and tailored to match the matte painting look of the classic film. Oz and Glenda are both remarkable. Glenda is a grand portrayal of the character in the books and light-years ahead of the good witch we've seen before. Oz is as good as the character in the classic film. Like the classic, this tale also seems to be a dream as it directly connects to the "real-life" opening scenes. What's lost here is that the China doll is the girl from the wheel chair. That's unfortunate as one of the films great sub-plots is lost if you miss this point. I only detected it through the credits at the end of the film. The flying monkey is superb! I can't imagine anyone not liking him. The fall of the Wicked Witch of the West is the only uncertain part of the film. Her backstory radically changes her character and makes her fairly sympathetic. Its hard to completely hate her watching the classic knowing that she is also a victim. Its hard not to view Oz in a somewhat negative light knowing his role in her demise. I found this acceptable as the Oz character here is closer to the Frank Baum character than the one in the classic film. Their interaction does give all the characters a lot more dimension. In truth, there needs to be at least two more films to take us from Great and Powerful to the classic. This is a great first step but the transition is incomplete.

I rented Oz the Great and Powerful on Prime Video for a cozy night in, and it was a fantastic choice! The movie is a visually stunning prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz, with beautiful scenery, colorful effects, and a fun storyline that pulled us right in. James Franco was great in the lead role, and the witches added just the right mix of mystery and charm. It had a good balance of adventure, humor, and heart, making it perfect for both adults and kids. Streaming on Prime Video was quick and smooth—no delays, and the HD quality looked great on my screen. Definitely worth the rental if you're in the mood for something magical! —Pretty Real Reviews 💋 Keeping it pretty. Keeping it real.

Lots of the 1 star reviews of this product seem to focus on the Disney's decision about how to market the home version. I may return to that topic if characters remain, but in main this will be a review of what IS in the box, and of the movie itself. First off, it's beautiful. The 3D SFX were nicely done in IMAX and the Blu-ray transfer looks good. Oz is colorful as ever you'd wish, and even on the main menu screen, things come out of the screen in a quite satisfactory way. There is a bit of ghosting in some of the bright against dark scenes, but probably less than in the average transfer. So, on to the story (no spoilers if you've seen all the trailers). We have to face it - Gregory Maguire owns this space, and if you've visited the Wickedverse part of your mind will be expecting Theodora and Evanora to be Elphaba and Nessarose and, well, they're not. Nor could they be. Maguire's sex and politics take on Oz is fascinating, but hardly good family entertainment. I think Disney have done a very credible job of respinning this story to make it interesting for grownups and for kids. It's not great art, but the plot should make the two hours move right along. Especially given the likes of Mesdames Kunis, Weisz and Williams as our three favorite witches. Kunis is great, Weisz does just fine with a smaller role that would tempt anyone else over the line into parody. Williams makes the most of what is, inevitably, a bit of a saccharine part. Let's face it, Glinda's not Marilyn. But, to me, James Franco just didn't carry the Oz role. I truly expect to get beat up by the Francophiles but really, even tho' he used all three of his facial expressions, he didn't sell me. Okay, they spent their money on SFX, so let's not expect Depp or Damon. But I kept thinking: what if they got somebody good from TV like Dylan Bruce, or Tony Starr, or (be still my beating heart) Alexander Skarsgard to do this? All in all, I do think the ladies carry the day, and the film, and make it well worth the coin. Now, as to Disney's "failure" to provide a 2D Blu-ray or DVD in the box.... I didn't need it, and if you have a smart tv with Amazon or Hulu plus, or an Apple TV hooked to your TV, you don't either. Redeeming the download via iTunes yielded not only a really nice 1080p transfer suitable for TV or tablet viewing, but also some bonus materials. When is this a problem? If you spent the extra $800 to get a disc player in the back of the mini van instead of springing for the iPad or Kindle Fire to entertain the kids. In which case, yes, you can be upset you did not get your DVD or 2D Blu-ray. But instead of plunking down $20 for those 2D copies now, do consider saving up for a next gen tablet. It will be worth it. And, let's face it, unless there is a special incentive like 3D, the days of inserting a chunk of media in a player are numbered.

Excellent movie

Spoiler alert: If you haven't watched it already, I might spoil some of it for you with what I'm about to say. I could barely get through the first half hour, and I did so griping and swearing because it seemed so bad, and I had just spent $5 renting the HD version. I thought about walking out of the theater, marching up to the ticket counter, and demanding my money back, only the theater was my living room, and I couldn't bring myself to write Amazon such an email. I went to bed picking apart what I had seen and finding all the problems with bad acting, terrible dialogue, and weak story. The next day, I forced myself to sit down and finish it for no other reason than the money I had spent. I sat there with my arms crossed and a pouty look on my face thinking the next hour and a half would be torture, but before I knew it, I was laughing, and I even ended up shedding a few tears. I should add to this that it was the 4th of July, and I am relatively patriotic, and this movie has a patriotic theme with the land of Oz fighting for independence from the rule of the witches. And it is entirely possible that I might have been slightly intoxicated (I'm going to watch it again soberly today to see if I have the same feelings :-) I like Zach Braff, but I think of him as a television guy, and while I enjoyed Garden State, I don't think he has learned how to think like a movie actor yet. It was partly his lines in the first thirty minutes of this movie that made me hate the movie so much. The dialogue just seemed so badly written. But it was Braff who rescued the movie for me when I started watching on the second day, and his character of Finley the monkey got me to laugh. Then the China Girl entered, probably my favorite character in the movie. What really saved the story for me was Glinda, and this is what gets to the heart of my problem with the story. I guess Oz is supposed to be a shady guy with a good heart at his core, and my life has taught me more and more not to trust shady guys, even when I believe they are good at their core. Knowing they are good deep down does not redeem them for me, and as long as they keep lying, tricking, manipulating, and pranking, I do not want them anywhere near me, and I will respond with anger if they try to trick me. But then, I was raised by a US Marine who had absolutely no patience for BS. My sister idolized Judy Garland, and has a collection of Wizard of Oz memorabilia, so I am pretty familiar with that movie, and I know that Oz is revealed to be somewhat of a s****** in the end, and that is apparently where the character is supposed to find its core of meaning and arc. So as I'm watching them delve further into Oz's character, I'm waiting for it to redeem itself, and in the end, he doesn't end up revealing greatness, just goodness, but what I wanted was greatness, at least if he is to become king (err, rather, wizard). If he is at best just a good guy, then fine, he should take the role of a secondary character, but if he is to become king, he's going to have to impress me on a whole nuther level beyond magic tricks. Can you imagine if Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings ascended to the throne of Middle Earth by means of double talk and slight of hand? My other problem again centers around the character of Oz, or rather, the person they chose to play him. I guess I just do not like James Franco, or I have yet to see him play a role that I like. I kept hoping they would just focus the camera on one of the beautiful actresses and leave him out of the shot because his appearance just rubs me the wrong way. They apparently asked Robert Downey Jr. to play the role, and I wonder if I would have liked it more with him, but I suspect the weak character would prevent me from enjoying it played by any actor. When Glinda entered the story, I breathed a sigh of relief that we had finally found a strong character. I read the following quote from producer Joe Roth on Wikipedia: "...during the years that I spent running Walt Disney Studios -- I learned about how hard it was to find a fairy tale with a good strong male protagonist. You've got your Sleeping Beauties, your Cinderellas and your Alices. But a fairy tale with a male protagonist is very hard to come by. But with the origin story of the Wizard of Oz, here was a fairy tale story with a natural male protagonist. Which is why I knew that this was an idea for a movie that was genuinely worth pursuing." Does he really think Oz is a strong male protagonist? A strong man walks around lying, cheating, and tricking people? A strong man becomes king only through dumb luck, and despite his own cowardice? There are two strong characters in this entire story, and they are Glinda and the China Girl. The China Girl proves herself to be a bad ass in spite of how fragile she is. Glinda amazes me with her patience with Oz, and the ability to bring out the best in him, however pathetic his best is. That she believes in him causes me to wonder if I should be more patient with and forgiving of the s****** in my life, and that is where the story redeems itself for me. I'm giving it five stars because of Glinda, the China Girl, the visuals, and the character of Theadora - while I couldn't be more bummed that they made Mila Kunis so ugly, I can't keep from hoping that she will some day find her goodness and beauty again, even though I know full well how her story ends. I was worried about Mila early on in the story because her dialogue seemed to bad, but I thought she did well with the role once she turned green. And I got over my gripes about terrible dialogue when I realized it was probably necessary for this type of fairy tale, although I can't help but wonder if it could have been just slightly better written. One last thing, I don't appreciate Sam Raimi making me jump out of my skin with all of his sudden scares. I am a sensitive person, and tend to be high strung, and I have never been a fan of horror movies, although I did think Army of Darkness was pretty cool. He lulls you into a sense of peace and quiet and then surprises you by suddenly throwing a loud and scary monster in your face, and I just don't appreciate that.

I am a great fan of L. Frank Baums book THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, and I loved the MGM version as well though many changes were made to the story. In the book, OZ is a real place, not a dream. But the marvelous production by MGM was so good a person cannot quibble over little changes. Magical, surreal, beautifully filmed and acted, and a wonderful cast as well. I thought Bert Larr really stole the film; funny, loveable and yet heroic, In my opinion this film, now owned by Warner Bros, was MGMs finest hour (or should I say 2 hours). Warners even talked about a remake with the original script. I do not suggest that, but perhaps added Oz tales from later books could be done. This new film is good, well photographed, good special effects and the cast was ok though I thought the witches were rather sexy. But I only gave it three stars because first it suffers from what all pre-sequels suffer with and that is we already know what is going to happen in the future. There are no surprises in this one, though the settings of Oz are quite beautiful. I know they were trying to be faithful to the MGM version yet updating the original with motion pictures new technologies. That works ok, but I still think there was not enough originality in the story. We all know the Wizard was a charlatan (like Patrick Jane?) and then there were the little Munchkins ready to sing and dance. enough with that! I do think the film was kind of odd in some ways, but I think for those who loved the original film and are young at heart, they should get this movie. Like all my DVDs I get them from AMAZON. UPDATE: 7-12-15 I just watched this film in its entirety on Sci Fi channel: Yes, I have the DVD that I got from Amazon some time back, but I never saw it in the theater and watched the DVD on my computer that gets a great HD quality pic, but I wanted to see it in full screen HD on a big set of mine, so I did. As I have stated before, the quality of the production is superb, colors brilliant much like the original Techicolor 3 strip process used on the MGM production. But like many pre-sequels, this film has major flaws. It is enjoyable though perhaps a bit long with some dragging scenes, but I think it is worth watching if you are a Baum-a-holic as I was and still am ( I got all his and other authors writings of OZ including TIN MAN) and the special effects are at times stupendous. But there is little in the way of surprises; we all know how it will end. And some of the characters are weak, such as Glinda, the good Witch of the South. And peace never returned to Oz unlike they claim in this film. Lots of eye candy, but some goofy moments as to how the Witch of the West became green. No match for Mrs. Coffee that's for sure. Admittedly I do not like the Disney Company, and I mean I DO NOT LIKE them. I loved Walt but those who took over the company nearly ran it into the ground. Remember Isner who tried to pretend he was Disney. They have turned the corner to the better recently with fine efforts with ONCE UPON A TIME & WONDERLAND and the new version of ALICE; we shall see. Only 3 stars for this mixed bag.

UPDATE (6/14/2013): Refrain from buying the single 3D-disc version, because you have the option of purchasing the 3D disc for $5.99 on DisneyRewards.com with the combo pack. I discovered this when I went online to get the digital copy with my combo pack. It is for a limited time though, so keep that in mind. WARNING: ***SPOILER ALERT*** Some things discussed in this review could potentially spoil some of the film for those who have not yet seen it. Therefore, if you have not seen it, read onward at your own choice. Okay, first thing is first: This review is NOT about the packaging decisions made by Disney for this set or their decision to sell the 3D version separately. I agree with most that it is corporate greed and is quite despicable, but that is not what I am here to review because most everyone can come to that conclusion themselves without people ranting about it endlessly in the reviews. No, this review is an actual critique of the film, so if you are here to get a sense of whether the film's (and thus this set's) actual content is something you're interested in, this review is for you. Naturally, I saw the film in theaters and am writing this review based upon my viewing of the film and observations made during that viewing. I shall attempt to go over the positives and negatives associated with the film in a fair way that can allow others who have not yet seen the film to draw their own conclusions from hopefully. Before I get into specifics, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize that, given the material the film is coming from and the ENORMOUS shadow it had to work in from the 1939 film, one should not judge this film overly harshly. I think we all know that no Oz film is going to ever fully eclipse the much-beloved and universally cherished 1939 film with Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton. Hence, to even try to overcome such a monumental production is a fool's errand, but so too is the idea of judging any new effort to reboot the Oz saga by comparison to the 1939 film alone. I myself have been a lifelong lover of the 1939 film, ever since I was a small child, and it remains one of the most beloved movies in my collection to this day. I came into this film knowing going in that it would not likely overcome the sheer splendor and magic of the 1939 film, but I also came into it with an open mind and a curiosity to see how they could potentially bring the Oz story into the 21st century. This is how I would suggest all who have not seen it yet to go into it: go in with an open mind and with no preconceptions about the film as best you can. PROS: 1) BRIDGING IDEAS FROM THE 1939 FILM WITH IDEAS FROM THE BOOKS: This film did an excellent job of paying homage to the original 1939 film in several ways (i.e. scenes in Kansas were in black and white while Oz was in full color, hints at Dorothy Gale's heritage and eventual coming, the presence and familial relation of the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wicked Witch of the East, foreshadowing the Wicked Witch of the West's weakness to water, the classic green-skin variation of the Wicked Witch of the West's look made popular by Margaret Hamilton, Glinda's use of bubbles for transportation, foreshadowing the presence of Dorothy Gale's three friends in Oz, the Wizard's illusions that allowed him to use a projection of his head to speak with authority, etc.) while also addressing several things that were absent from the 1939 film and yet present in the original novels (i.e. Dainty China Country, mentioning of the former King of Oz, Quadlings, Winkies, etc.) 2) ACTING: This is something that cuts both ways, as some actors/actresses were well-suited to their roles going in, while others clearly needed some time to grow into their roles. Examples of the former include Mila Kunis and Rachel Weiz, who give absolutely stunning performances as the Wicked Witch of the West (Theodora) and the Wicked Witch of the East (Evanora) respectively. I must take my hat off to Mila Kunis especially, who had HUGE shoes to fill in taking on the role of Theodora, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West, a role which had previously been immortalized by the performance of Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 classic. Kunis put a stupendous modern spin on the character while also paying homage to the foundations for the character that were laid by Margaret Hamilton more than 70 years ago, portraying Theodora in a way many girls like her today could empathize with initially while eventually transitioning her into the classic green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West we all know so well. The same goes for Weiz, who finally gives screen-viewers some insight into the character of the Wicked Witch of the East. She is portrayed as the elder and quite deceitful sister of Theodora who was adviser to and later murdered the last King of Oz so as to take control of Oz herself while framing his daughter, Glinda the Good Witch of the South, for the crime. Both delivered compelling performances that left me wanting to see more of them in the films to come, as did Michelle Williams, who also gave an outstanding performance as the Good Witch Glinda as well as her counterpart in Kansas, Annie, who is foreshadowed to be the mother of Dorothy Gale. I suppose the biggest test any actor or actress faces in portraying a character is leaving the viewer with the desire to see more of them in films to come, and I can definitely say these three more than cleared that bar definitely. 3) VISUALS: This film WOWED me with the visuals and bright colors shown throughout the film. Just as its great predecessor did before it, the film showed the contrast between black and white filming with colorized scenery, and the result couldn't have been more appealing. The bright colors and scenery of the Land of Oz nearly jump right out of the screen at you, and the effect will likely have kids oooing and ahhing over it for sure. The picture quality is simply amazing (see the China Girl for a prime example of this). 4) CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: While some may disagree with this, as an Oz enthusiast for over 25 years, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased by the character development over the course of the film. Some of the biggest and most well-done examples of character development in the film are that of Oscar Diggs (the Wizard) and Theodora (the Wicked Witch of the West). The film does a good job of showing the Wizard's transition from a petty con-man to the great and wonderful Wizard of Oz we were introduced to in the 1939 film. For example, we are shown that Oscar was originally a womanizing con-man and illusionist that had a dubious set of ethical standards. Over the course of the film, we see him mature and learn from his mistakes and their consequences (the hard way in some cases i.e. the transformation of Theodora). The other biggest example lies with the character of Theodora herself. We are shown the HUGE contrast with how she was originally compared to the version of her we are all most familiar with. In the beginning, we are shown she is a compassionate, beautiful young witch who has the best interests of Oz at heart. Having fallen in love with the Wizard upon his arrival in Oz, Theodora's heart is broken when her sister deceives her and convinces her that he has tried to court all of the three primary witches in Oz. It is at this moment of utter heartbreak that Theodora's tears leave burning scars on her face (foreshadowing her weakness to water that would one day be exploited by Dorothy Gale) and she is deceived into eating a green apple that her sister promises will remove all her heartache. This is however proven to be a deception, as the apple's effects cause Theodora's heart to rot and die, eventually disintegrating altogether. As a result, her face is distorted and her skin is turned a bright shade of green. Donning her now all-black attire including a black pointed hat, she assumes her new identity as the Wicked Witch of the West. Mila Kunis delivers a stunning performance to bring this character development to life for us, and it is a real treat to behold. These are just a couple of examples of the good character development over the course of the film. CONS 1) ACTING: As stated above, this cuts both ways. While the bulk of the cast did outstanding, I will say there is one example where this was lacking in particular. That rested with the titular character (Oscar Diggs) and its actor (James Franco). There were times throughout the film that one could tell Franco was perhaps not the best choice to portray the role of the Wizard. Some examples include over-the-top moments of dialogue ("Zim-zala-bim! Begone coward! Fear my greatness!") and his at times awkward moments in the role. However, I do feel that by the end of the film, Franco had found his stride and was finally comfortable in the role, especially by the time of the film's climax in the battle for control of the Emerald City. The biggest times I noticed this awkwardness/woodenness was earlier in the film, and it is true that initially I felt that perhaps another actor may have been better suited to the role of the Wizard. But by the end, I do feel Franco has grown comfortable and competent enough to continue in the role and perfect his handle on the character. 2) LACK OF A CENTRAL MORAL TO THE STORY: Whereas there was a clear lesson we learned alongside Dorothy during her experience in the Land of Oz depicted in the 1939 classic, it wasn't as clear in this film that there was a central moral to be learned from the story. Whereas Dorothy learned to appreciate and cherish what she already possessed in life, it is unclear what moral Oscar was to learn from his initial experience in Oz. I suppose we may learn that even though some of us may not feel important or powerful, our own personal strengths can make up the difference if we put our minds to it. Beyond that, I was left wondering what we as an audience were supposed to learn from Oscar's experience. It is clear he became a better man and finally learned from his mistakes in the end, but the overall lesson he was to learn was not entirely clear. 3) USE OF STRENGTHS: One of the biggest gripes I had with the film was not in what it lacked, but in what it did possess but which it did not use enough in my estimation. A very big example of this was with the character of Theodora. While we are given a decent amount of screen time to get acquainted with her in her original form as Theodora The Good, we are not given nearly as much time to see her in her classical form of the Wicked Witch of the West. Mila Kunis gave such a wonderful performance as Theodora, and yet when she was at her best and clearly having the most fun with the role (that of her wicked form), we were not given nearly as much screen time to see her fully in action. While Evanora and Glinda have their face-off, Theodora simply flees the city to the West on her recently-acquired broomstick. While it is clear we will see them all again including the Wicked Witch of the West, I still wish they would have given her more screen time to further demonstrate her effectiveness in the role of the witch. This was not the only example of this, but you get the picture. 4) OVER-RELIANCE UPON CGI: One thing that the 1939 classic proved was that it is possible to be highly compelling and visually stunning without Computer Generated Imagery. While the special effects in the film were quite attractive to the eye, there were times (especially over the course of the Wizard's journey through Oz) that it bordered upon overkill. The beauty of the 1939 classic was that we didn't have to have a lot of fancy special effects from computers to make us fall in love with the film. Not that all computer-generated effects are bad, in fact many genuinely did add to the visual beauty of the film. It is just a small complaint when they seemed a little over the top, such as when the Wizard was swept into the twister and transported by it to Oz. BOTTOM LINE: This was an excellent opening overall to a promising reboot of the Oz saga. As I noted in the beginning, no Oz-related film is ever going to fully eclipse the 1939 classic in the hearts and minds of the American public. However, considering the immense shadow cast over the film by the 1939 film, this film did a much better job than some would expect in measuring up in terms of quality and substance. It is easy to judge this film and others related to the Land of Oz by the standards of the 1939 classic, but that can at times seem a bit unfair, considering how monumental the earlier film is. If some are always looking for the perfection of the 1939 classic in every Oz-related film, I am afraid they will almost always be disappointed. If one can come into this with an open mind however, it is a HUGE treat indeed overall. For those that have not seen the film and are on the fence about it, I STRONGLY encourage you to give this film a shot. It puts a wonderful modern spin on Baum's classic stories, and that is something that is definitely to be celebrated. I am sure especially that somewhere, Margaret Hamilton is likely smiling about the new take on the character which caused her to be immortalized in cinema history.

Buena pelicula

Parfait, envoi rapide

Was hard to find in store but got it here

Bellissimo film per tutti sia grandi che piccoli, speriamo che James Franco torni a interpretare film per le famiglie tipo Robin Hood oppure L'Alba Del Pianeta Delle Scimmie.

Excellent movie. A follow up of the original.