The film begins in a black-and-white Kansas , where  Franco is a greedy, self-centered, womanizing small-time circus charlatan  magician who takes off in a hot air balloon to escape a strongman only to be  swept into a tornado, which wisks him away to Oz. The locals all think he’s part  of a prophecy: the man who will save them from a pair of evil witches  (deliciously played by Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis). Michelle Williams is the  sweeter than sugar good witch, Glinda. Zach Braff provides the only real humor  as Oz’s tag-along flying monkey. Instead of the lion, scarecrow and tinman, Oz’s  other traveling companion is a porcelain doll.

Directed by “Spider-Man” franchise helmer Sam  Raimi, every scene seems  to overstay its welcome. Even the climax, which is an homage to early Hollywood magic, is drawn out. As for the digitized  landscapes: despite  their radiant color, they, too, fall short of the  original.  Loved the costuming, I have to say.

Thanks to the Warner copyright with the original, Oz is not what we remember:  the munchkins  barely show up and the trademarks in the original are  missing : from the yellow brick road to the field of poppies.

What this movie really lacks is heart, emotion and charm, the mainstays of “The Wizard Of Oz”.  That’s a movie you can watch and  over  again.  I barely got through this film. Seriously, I was  nodding off.    Oz himself is so unlikable,   it’s hard to care what  happens to him.  Since he’s the central character, that kind of says it  all.

Yeah- an epic disappointment.

1-and-a-half stars