Disney’s long-awaited prequel to The Wizard of Oz is a charming “believe in magic” tale, but the film fails to capture the magic seen the first time around.

Oz opens in a 4:3 aspect ratio (not wide screen) in black and white as a tribute to the original movie. We meet Oscar (James Franco), a small town magician with a bit of an ego, living life with the traveling circus putting on magic shows. There’s a nice performance here from Zach Braff, who plays his assistant Frank. Trouble occurs and Oscar uses a balloon to be whisked away. When a storm quickly hits the balloon, he makes a wish that ultimately transports him to the Land of Oz.

In the magical land he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and eventually Annie (Michelle Williams). There’s also the introduction of Oz’s new assistant Finley, a cute and winged monkey who is voiced by Braff. He offers a lot of the comic relief and is generally one of the more enjoyable characters in the film. Another standout animated character is China Girl (Joey King), who’s animation is unique because she looks very real.

Oz’s goal is to become the wizard after those in the land believe he’s the one a prophecy had spoken of, but the problem is that he doesn’t do real magic – he’s basically a conman. Oz sets out to prove that he can be magical by using physical tricks that those in Oz would never realize aren’t true magic. We liked this idea a lot because it captures the spirit of Disney.

Oz employs the usual Disney motto of “believing in magic,” but unfortunately the film won’t captivate audiences as well as Oz captivates his newly discovered constituents. The performance from the three sisters doesn’t feel like anything special, and the film is a tad too long. A tighter storyline and a recast of at least Theodora would’ve improved this film.

On the other hand, there’s a lot to enjoy for fans of The Wizard of Oz who want to know how the wizard came into his role. It’s the first time this subject material has been approached. Disney diehards won’t mind this film either. The 3D is worth noting in that it never gets in your way; it’s used just the right amount and they pull off a couple of enjoyable tricks.

Grade: B

Rated: PG (for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language)

Oz the Great and Powerful opens in theaters on March 8, 2013.