Oz the Great and Powerful, the Odd Life of Timothy Green from Disney Pictures, Movie Review from West Coast Midnight Run

Some felt the film is really family television fare.

However audiences seem to disagree as they trumped the critics two-to-one.

For the soft hearted The Odd Life of Timothy Green is guaranteed to enchant and entertain while tugging at your emotions and tear ducts.

Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton star as the parents with so much love to give and CJ Adams is in the role of Timothy.

Bring a few extra napkins. Just remember this movie does not have any M&M sweets, nor any small little friends that want to phone home. And you can be sure it’s not Powder.

THE ODD LIFE OF
TIMOTHYGREEN
Disney Pictures
MPAA Rating PG

By Michelle Leung

A Disney movie that has all the trappings of a fairy-tale and yet has shades of earlier Disney fare such as The Thirteenth Year, Pinocchio, as well as D.A.R.Y.L and A.I.

Many established critics have complained this film is too sweet and contrived. Just like Timothy, the film wants to really please audiences - almost desperately so.

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
Walt Disney Pictures
MPAA Rating Unrated Yet

By Francis Benetti

Film Director Sam Raimi, of Spider-Man fame, revisits the tale of the Wizard of Oz and brings along James Franco, who portrayed Peter Parker’s buddy in the old Spidey series.

Oz The Great and Powerful is a story that takes place before Dorothy (Judy Garland) visits the fabled Yellow Brick Road in one of Disney’s most memorable classics from 1939.

This adventure is also set in Kansas, and takes the moviegoer on the tale that uncovers how the Great Wizard of Oz came to be.

James Franco is Oscar Diggs, a small town magician who crosses over into the Land of Oz and is challenged by the Three Witches into proving himself a real wizard.

He is faced by the dilemma of finding out who is good and who is up to no good in solving the problems for his hosts before time runs out and along the way find himself examining his own ethics and how he wants to lead his life - whether his newfound powers will allow him to become a better man than he started out as before arriving in the Enchanted Kingdom.

Rather than launch a new series as had been the case with Pirates of the Caribbean and The Avengers, Disney Studios revisit a classic story from its library for the entire family.

Is Disney planning on producing an entire series of Oz adventures if this film proves a success?

Moviegoers and fans will of course have final say but we will not find out how Oscar and Disney will fare until sometimes in 2013.