Sam Raimi (the Spider-Man trilogy) tackles the backstory of the greatest and most powerful wizard this side of Gandalf; that would be Oz (James Franco), who starts off as a small-time magician before landing in an enchanted land in dire need of rescuing. The quest of a good man on the path to greatness seems like it would be right in Raimi’s wheelhouse, especially if he gets to mix in a little of his trademark goofy humor rather than the visual oddities (for the mere sake of being odd) that accompanied producer Joe Roth’s Alice in Wonderland from director Tim Burton. Now in theaters. (PG) Not screened in time for review
This article appears in Mar 6-12, 2013.