Finally got to see "Oz the Great and Powerful." Quick review: It was better than feared, not as good as it should have been. The good stuff: The visiuals, the outlines of the story, the moments of homage to the classic film, the development of the Wicked Witch of the West--I loved the irony that the Wizard was the last straw that truned her Wicked. Nice use of smoke and mirrors too. The problems: The pounding of Hollywood's favorite cliche themes into the film: just believe and we'll triumph, we're all in this together, all we need is love, it's all about family. Another missed opportunity to make a movie about something. The romance between Oz and Glinda (another Hollywood boiler plate moment). This is not Baum's Glinda, which would be fine if the re-envisioning were clever, or interesting, or even original. The Wizard's acting. All I could think was "What would Morton Downey Jr. do in this role! And now I see how fabulous Frank Morgan was in this role." The telegraphing of the big balloon effect. The lame gift giving scene. And what was the point of the cyclone? A guy in a hot air balloon could just be blown to Oz.
As for the missing ruby/silver slippers/shoes--well, there is room for them to show up in a sequel now that the emerald jewel has been destroyed (though how an Emerald could be broken so easily is beyond me).
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