hellokristen

Visuals: Great // Script, Acting, Jokes: Terrible

"I am Oz the Great and Terrible". That's what the wizard says in the 1939 classic (and the book before it) when Dorothy & gang come before his throne.

This movie just has a terrible script. Terrible lead actor (Oh if only Johnny Depp or Robert Downey Jr had said Yes!). Mediocre acting from others -- except Rachael Weisz - more Brits please! and fewer American TV ensemble actors from shows about troubled teens.

The CGI/special effects are wonderful. I nearly plugged in my earbuds and put a white noise track on my MP3 player. So I wouldn't have to listen to the terrible script/acting and could just concentrate on the pretty pictures.

Every joke went over like a lead balloon -- not a lovely hot air balloon. No one in my theater laughed at one of them. Even the cute animal sidekick (here voiced by a white actor, in a surprising turn) just fails to be cute or funny enough. (And I liked Zach Braff in Scrubs).

Definition of Moribund: "In terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor." That's this movie. Don't believe the trailers -- they made it look very witty and fast-paced. Instead it is slow and dull.

Why don't they get the people who make the trailers to make the movie? Trailers are always fast-paced and funny and make the movies look terrific. I think there are jokes in the trailers that are not IN this movie! Why would you remove jokes from a movie that has too few?

Johnny Depp tries his hardest, as he always does. But the script is just flat. Sad to see that Tim Burton has demoted his girlfriend, Helena Bonham Carter, to "older character lady" role. Women in their 20s get the romantic leads. (Is Johnny not aging?)

Also story steals a bit from Twilight. So we've seen it all before.