Video On Demand, Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 11, 2013
Price: DVD $29.99, Blu-ray $39.99, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $44.99, Blu-ray 3D Combo $44.99
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Disney returns to Oz with a prequel this time in Oz the Great and Powerful.
Based on author Frank L. Baum’s classic children’s stories
Screenwriters Mitchell Kapner (The Whole Nine Yards) and David Lindsay-Abaire (Rise of the Gaurdians) start their story with Oscar Diggs (James Franco, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), a.k.a. the small-time circus magician Oz the Great and Powerful. He’s more con artist than magician, and when his dubious ethics push him into a hot air balloon to avoid a beating, Oz gets whisked away from dusty Kansas to a magical land.
In Oz, Diggs discovers that there’s a prophecy that a man will fall from the sky to save the people of the land, and when he’s assumed to be that man, he’s happy to take on the role when he finds out it comes with heaps and heaps of treasure. The only problem is, the job comes with fulfilling the prophecy, which means killing a witch. Ultimately, Diggs must decide if he’s good or bad.
The PG movie is filled with name actors, including Mila Kunis (Friends With Benefits) and Rachel Weisz (The Bourne Legacy) as magical sisters, Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn) as Diggs’ girlfriend and the Good Witch Glinda, Zach Braff (The High Cost of Living) as Diggs’ assistant and the voice of Oz’s monkey valet and Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead) as the funny Winkie Gate Keeper.
Evil Dead helmer Sam Raimi directed the visual-effects-filled adventure film, which grossed a tidy $226.5 million at the box office.
Critics and moviegoers were mixed on the real power of Oz, though. MovieCrypt.com‘s Kevin A. Ranson said, “Sam Raimi has managed to recapture the feel and charm of the original Wizard of Oz… and that may be the greatest compliment of all.” But Dallas Morning News critic Chris Vognar wrote: “Oz the Great and Powerful somehow manages to be both slavish to its hallowed template (when convenient) and completely tone-deaf to the magic that made it a one-of-a-kind cultural milestone.”
All home versions of Oz the Great and Powerful come with a downloadable digital copy of the movie plus these special features:
- bloopers
- featurette “Walt Disney and the Road to Oz,” about Walt’s fascination with the Land of Oz and his plans for his own adaptations of Frank L. Baum’s books.
The Blu-ray combos add these:
- Second Screen app “The Magic of Oz the Great and Powerful” including these extras:
- “The Enchanting Characters and Creatures of Oz”
- “The Sounds of Magical Oz”
- “Sleight of Hand: Zach Braff Puppet Theater” with Zach Braff introducing the mockup of his character Finley
- Mariah Carey music video
- “My Journey in Oz by James Franco,” a personal story produced and directed by Franco
- “Mr. Elfman’s Musical Concoctions” interview with composer Danny Elfman talking about his inspiration for the scoring of the film
- “China Girl and the Suspension of Disbelief” about how the character was brought to life, including an interview with Joey King (Crazy, Stupid, Love), who provided the voice
- “Before Your Very Eyes: From Kansas to Oz” with production designer Robert Stromberg going through the set design process from sketches on a napkin to visual effects
- “Mila’s Metamorphosis” with lead makeup artist Howard Berger.
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Buy or Rent Oz the Great and Powerful
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  DVD  | Blu-ray | Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Blu-ray 3D Combo |
 DVD | Blu-ray | Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Blu-ray 3D Combo |
 DVD | Blu-ray | Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Blu-ray 3D Combo |
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