“The Wizard of Oz” is one of the most important films in the history of cinema: equal parts fun, dramatic and spellbinding. For the audiences of 1939, it must have been a movie to behold, unlike anything previously seen on the silver screen. 74 years later, Disney has created a prequel to that fantastic flick, with interesting results. With visual effects that were unimaginable back in the 30’s, the film might be more impressive visually, but how does it do in other areas like story and acting?

Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is a small time carnival magician, who winds up landing in the terrific land of Oz. Filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes and landscapes of harrowing beauty, Oscar is soon mistaken for a Wizard, a person who could save the land of Oz from a dangerous Wicked Witch. With the help of a flying monkey servant named Finley (Zach Braff) and a china doll girl (Joey King), Oscar hopes to save Oz and become the great man he has always wanted to be.

Contrary to the main opinion, I thought James Franco did a fine job in the role of the Wizard. I wish Robert Downey Jr. had played the role as originally planned (now that would have been truly great and powerful stuff!) but Franco manages to do just fine, being surprisingly funny in some scenes and also giving some nice depth to fellow. Michelle Williams is wonderful as Glinda, bringing just the right amount of cheer and whimsy to the character. Zach Braff and Joey King are stupendous in their comic relief roles, especially Braff who gets some rip-roaring laughs in his monkey business, especially in his immensely quotable one-liners (I especially loved his rant on how assuming all monkeys loves bananas is a dangerous stereotype) My only complaint with the two characters is that they disappear halfway through the movie, and the pace and energy drops considerably.

One role that feels off is Mila Kunis, playing Theodora the Good Witch.  She’s okay, but obviously a little lost amidst the movie. I enjoyed her first scene with James, as they have nicely done romantic “date” of sorts, but felt the more the film progressed, the more she felt out of place and miscasted. A pity, as I felt she shined in last year’s “Ted”, but here she is the weak link in the cast. Rachel Weisz is all right in her role as Evanora, although she felt underdeveloped as a character, although it is a vast improvement over Weisz’ last role in the middling “The Bourne Legacy.”

My main complaint stems from what I mentioned above when discussing the sidekick’s absence in the third act; they bring so much fun and zest to the movie that, once the third act begins, it all feels rushed and dull. It doesn’t help that a certain famous villain, that all of Disney’s marketing is hyping up, appears and feels rushed and oddly subpar. No spoilers on who the bad guy is, as Disney seems to be making sure no reviewer spoils the surprise (as I write this, I’m sure they have a sniper rifle pointed at my head) but let’s just say that when this antagonist reappears, it feels out of place and forced.

Sam Raimi, who directed the vastly underrated Tobey Maguire “Spider-Man” movies, does a fantastic job recreating Oz, in a nice combination of CGI and actual sets. It’s obvious from various interviews that the man has passion for this movie, and it shows through the superb staging of scenes and mixture of thrills, laughs and action. A nice combination that works out perfectly for the first two acts, especially for a live-action family movie, which usually consists of mediocre flicks about singing chipmunks and Matt Damon buying zoos.

Also, the 3D presented here is some of the best ever put on film. Joining the likes of “Avatar”, “Life of Pi” and “Hugo” in the pantheon of movies that are essential to see in the third dimension, “Oz” amazes with its utilization of the format. Far from being a gimmick, it enhances the story and the land of “Oz” itself. I can’t implore you enough to experience “Oz” in 3D, I really can’t.

“Oz, The Great And Powerful” is a fantastic movie for about 2/3’s of the time, until a rushed and poorly constructed 3rd act prevent it from truly scaling the heights of greatness the original “Wizard of Oz” climbed with ease. Still, this is a good movie, filled with beautiful visuals, fine actors and some of the best 3D ever created, this is still a movie worth seeing in the theatre. While a bit more fine-tuning could’ve made it a classic, “Oz” still finds moments that defy gravity and expectations.