Warning: Spoilers below!

It’s not easy to make a film based on a beloved book, and even harder to make a movie based off of a beloved film.

Oz has to live up to the expectations of fans of the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz, and of fans of Frank L. Baum’s original Oz book series, not to mention fans of the musical spinoff, Wicked. However, this new adaptation does not need the fame of the previous adaptations to succeed.

In some regards, Oz was required to stand on its own.  There were copyright issues, seeing as this Disney film did not have the rights to features in the Warner Brothers’ The Wizard of Oz film. For example, the Wicked Witch of the East does not have her ruby slippers, and even the Wicked Witch of the West had to be painted a specific shade of green different from the ’39 film.

But Oz still makes little nods to The Wizard—in fact, I’d call this a sort of love-letter to the original. The film opens in black-and-white and in a smaller screen, and, just like the original, transitions into a world of color once our protagonist enters the Land of Oz.

The plot itself is fairly separate from the source material, too. Oz, played by James Franco, is a likeable charlatan magician; a phony and proud of it. He is hammy, naïve, manipulative—and somehow endearing to the audience. There came one problem out of his flawed-hero character, however, and this has even caused some controversy.

The story, in brief, is about a man, Oz, overcoming the selfishness and cruelty inflicted by two women, the Wicked Witches, played by Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis. Critics have noticed a sufficient lack in strong female characters and themes in this story, and upon reflection, I’d agree. Glinda, the good Witch, played by Michelle Williams, does little but stand by and hope for Oz to rescue her in her time of need. The other female character, a China Doll played by Joey King, is instructed to stand by during most battles.

Later on, we find out that the Wicked Witch of the West’s motivation for turning evil was that her heart had been broken by the so-called Wizard of Oz. Meanwhile, her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, rules over Oz for the sake of adoration and vanity. Such shallow motivations are a little disappointing for modern audiences.

From the start of the film, Oz is shown wooing woman after woman and under false pretenses. Therefore, when he “really” falls in love with one character, the audience is left feeling unsure of Oz’s actual motivations.

Would I say this movie is a little stinted when it comes to groundbreaking ideas? Yes. Was it not fun to sit through? Quite the opposite.

This was the best feature of this Oz film—it’s fun. I normally go into a movie skeptical and ready to find flaws, but for Oz, I kicked back and enjoyed the ride. The effects were beautiful, the motifs were great for a fan of the original film, the costumes were imaginative, the voice acting was fun, and the humor was a perfect blend of deadpan and sarcasm. I found it very clever and highly enjoyable for a children’s film.

All in all, I’d say Oz deserves three out of four paws, with a deduction on account of a bit of shallow character development. If there is a sequel planned, however, I’m confident that by the time Dorothy shows up, the “girl power” will be upped.