• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1/2.40:1
• Video Codec: AVC MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
• Audio Codec: English DTS-HDMA 7.1 (48 kHz/24-bit), English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
• Subtitles Color: White
• Region: ABC (Region-Free)
  
• Rating: PG
  
• Run Time: 130 Mins
• Discs: 2 (1 x Blu-ray, 1 x DVD)
• Digital Copies: iTunes
• Studio: Walt Disney Studios
  
• Blu-ray Release Date: June 11, 2013
• List Price: $44.99

Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(The below TheaterByte screen captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray Discs and losslessly compressed in the PNG format. There should be no loss of picture quality with this format. All screen captures should be regarded only as an approximation of the full capabilities of the Blu-ray format.)

The Film

[Rating:3.5/5]

Oz: The Great and Powerful tells the story of Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician. When Diggs is sent away to the Land of Oz, he initially wonders if he may have hit the jackpot – a world full of colors and magic. That is until he meets the three witches (respectively played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams), who aren’t at all convinced he’s the saving grace everyone’s expecting.

Going into Oz the Great and Powerful, my expectations were mixed. While I find James Franco to be a highly underrated actor, I was highly disappointed by another ‘fantasy’ based film a few years back in Alice in Wonderland. Not that Johnny Depp delivered a poor performance, more Tim Burton’s quirky direction just didn’t click with me. With that said, I’ll admit that Oz surprised me. As I had mentioned, I didn’t think this one would work; maybe it was Franco, or the beautiful Mila Kunis, or maybe the more capable Sam Raimi (who can typically deliver big budget films). Whatever the case may be, I found myself enjoying this one.

Successfully able to re-imagination the famous Wizard of Oz tale, Director Sam Raimi delivers here. The use of vibrant colors (as mentioned below) help to create the kind of world that draws the viewer in. Heck, even if the audience IS NOT enjoying the film, I can’t imagine a person not enjoying the beautiful worlds Raimi and his crew have created. The acting also helps here. Franco, as one might be able to figure out from my reviews of his films, is one of the more underrated actors in Hollywood. While he is beginning to receive more attention (rightfully so), I still feel his brighter years are ahead of him.

Outside of that, the best way to sum up Oz the Great and Powerful is this – the whole film is just a fun, enjoyable time.

Video Quality

[Rating:5/5]

Oz: The Great and Powerful travels to Blu-ray with a stunning, vibrantly beautiful presentation. Initially opening up in a 1.33:1 framed presentation (as evident by screenshot #1,) the film transitions over to its 2.40:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded presentation nearly 15 minutes into the film. It’s here that the beauty of this transfer is shown. Colors are oh so vibrant, with rich, clear blues, reds, greens and sun yellows. Detail, whether facial close-ups or wider, exterior sequences, result in an accurate, consistent use of detail.

Audio Quality

[Rating:5/5]

Audio-wise, Oz hits with a powerful, consistent DTS-HDMA 7.1 offering from Disney, which is equally as impressive as the aforementioned 3D presentation. Dialogue is well reproduced via the center channel, with no instance of drop out. Atmosphere is some of the best I’ve heard out of any 2013 title thus far. Whether it be the initially opening moments, or the transfer over to Kansas, the surround speakers are constantly active throughout. Mixing in the film’s score by Danny Elfman, or the varying discrete effects (creatures screeching,) this is an true aural presentation by Disney. No need to award more accolades here folks, just listen and enjoy. 

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:2.5/5]

All included features are presented in High Definition:

• Disney Second Screen – This feature details all things Oz. From an interactive map full of secrets and surprises, to an inside look at the world of Oz, all you need to do is download “The Magic of Oz The Great and Powerful: Second Screen” App (available via the iTunes Store for iPads.)
• Bloopers – 5 minutes of bloopers, mostly of the cast joking around, are shown.
• My Journey in Oz by James Franco – This one runs 22 minutes and chronicles an average work day for James, hosted by himself.
• Mr. Elfman’s Musical Concoctions – Anyone who has listed to ANY of Danny Elfman’s other scores, can easily attest to the fact that he creates some of the oddest, yet most enjoyable scores out there. Running 7 minutes, this looks into his work on this film.
• China Girl and the Suspension of Disbelief – A 5 minute look into bringing China Girl to life, via initial artwork, all the way down to watching Joey King chat about voicing the character.
• Before Your Very Eyes: From Kansas to Oz – An 11 minute look into the set pieces, and varying sketches that ultimately lead to the worlds featured in the film.
• Mila’s Metamorphosis – An 8 minute look into how Mila Kunis was transformed into the Wicked Witch.
• Walt Disney and the Road to Oz – A 10 minute look into the studio’s history with Oz.
• Digital Copy – A Digital Copy of the film has been included.

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:4/5]

Unlike Alice in Wonderland, Oz the Great and Powerful is an all around fun and enjoyable film. Equally fun is Disney’s excellent Blu-ray for the film. With a picture perfect V/A presentation, and a few solid features, this one comes highly recommended.

Additional Screen Captures

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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]