Oz the Great and Powerful

Right now you can watch Oz the Great and Powerful in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. James Franco sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. Put it on tonight on Disney Plus and see for yourself.

Oz the Great and Powerful is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Oz the Great and Powerful treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he's the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil. James Franco and Mila Kunis lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. It hit screens in 2013. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Oz the Great and Powerful a chance. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Watch for James Franco in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.