Girl meets boy. Girl falls for boy. Boy breaks girl's heart. Girl gets revenge. This is the classic storyline that is featured in countless movies. Forget about female empowerment or strong female leads-life revolves around boys. This unfortunate storyline is also the backbone of the new film Oz the Great and Powerful. Though visually stunning and enchanting, I was left feeling disappointed, as it largely centers around the idea of female dependence on male acceptance.

As a remake of the original Wizard of Oz story, the overall film was well done, from the acting to the special effects. James Franco as the self-centered traveling magician named Oz is entertaining, though I would have liked for the character to be more relatable to the audience. Oz is very selfish and will do anything to further his fame, including manipulating women to his advantage. Though he is the main character, I failed to develop any understanding or compassion for the character; this was slightly disappointing because other movies often do manage to create an emotional bond with even the most unlikable character.

The first 20 minutes of the movie are in black and white, which is well-suited to the dreary Kansas atmosphere and Oz's role as a mere traveling magician. This part was slightly lengthy, but I appreciated the contrast it created between Kansas and the land of Oz. Upon arriving in the colorful, magical and mystical land, Oz meets the good witch Theodora (Mila Kunis). She lights up the screen as her character quickly falls under Franco's enchanting spell and her character evolves dramatically over the course of the movie.

Everyone in Oz is immediately thrilled because Oz's arrival signals the realization of a prophecy that he will save them from the wicked witch. This feeds Oz's ego and he doesn't hesitate to take on the role, even if he isn't the right wizard for the job (he has no actual magic skills). After meeting each other and sharing a lovey-dovey scene, Oz meets Theodora's sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), a deceptive, controlling and power-hungry witch. The sisters task him with killing the "evil" witch Glinda (Michelle Williams).

In a surprising twist on the classic story, Glinda is first introduced as the evil witch, but Theodora and Evanora quickly reveal themselves as the true villains of the story. What I had the biggest problem with is the result of Oz's rejection of Theodora's love-she is literally driven mad and becomes the infamous wicked witch. Really? I personally think it is pathetic that the story revolves around a scorned heart and it is a pity that three strong female leads are wasted on a sexist mantra.

Williams' performance as Glinda was my favorite of all the witches, mostly because of how her inner goodness contrasts with her last performance I saw-in Blue Valentine-as a frustrated, emotional wreck. She exudes beauty and grace, an important contrast to the somewhat heartless and self-absorbed Oz. I enjoyed her interactions with the people of Munchkin Land as a pseudo-mother protecting the people of Oz.

My favorite character by far wasn't even human. She was a little China Doll voiced by the adorable Joey King, a rising child star who was equally endearing as the little sister Ramona in 2010's Ramona and Beezus. The animation of the delicate doll was perfect and she was incredibly lifelike. Her interactions with Williams as she accompanies Glinda and Oz in their journeys were adorable and she helps chip away Franco's hard exterior.

Franco forms an unexpected friendship with Finley, a monkey voiced by Zach Braff, which also helps humanize Oz because he developed his first real friendship with Finley. Both of these non-human companions far surpass the standard supporting-actor duties. They help move along the story and prove essential to the success of Oz and Glinda's plan to get rid of the evil sisters.

Visually, the movie was not a miraculous show of special effects (aside from the grand finale and triumph of goodness), but the graphics did have a storybook-like quality that suited the fairytale setting very well. But even if it was visually appealing, I was left slightly disappointed because of the hype I had heard leading up to the movie. Besides being disappointed by the "girl with the broken heart" theme, I felt like there was very little character development, which detracted from my ability to become emotionally invested in any of the characters. The film lacked that certain spark-something which is disappointing from a story that has been artfully told so many times.

So maybe that is the problem-maybe The Wizard of Oz has reached the end of its ability to keep innovating its backstories, subplots and alternative interpretations. I love both the book and theater versions of Wicked, but Oz the Great and Powerful does not do L. Frank Baum justice.
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