OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL has a really big pro and a really big con. The pro is, of course, that Sam Raimi directed it. I will see anything Raimi directs, but I can’t help feeling that this movie is going to be the Oz version of Tim Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND. That is the big con.
This new poster is everything that was wrong with the Burton movie: it is fake, overly bright, and crammed with CGI creations. I am aware that there is a degree of suspension of disbelief that is needed for movies like this, but this is where I draw the line. The STAR WARS prequels, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and now OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL suffer from being in a fully green screen environment. In order for a movie to work, there has to be something tangible to hold onto. AVATAR, the LORD OF THE RINGS films, and even THE AVENGERS relied heavily on computer generated effects but all feel as if they exist in a tangible place. Pandora seems like it is a place you could actually go to. This version of Oz does not.
The previous posters for the movie have been subtle teasers, using the landscape of the film and hints of the characters to sell the magic of the movie. This one throws everything at us from Munchkins to good and evil flying monkeys.
I hope the movie proves me wrong when OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8, 2013.