OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL Trailer Blows Into Town

This aint your father's Sam Raimi movie, kids. No, it's hard to imagine Raimi making a movie farther removed from The Evil Dead and Darkman than what he has turned in with Oz The Great And Powerful, which I'm sure makes Disney rather happy with their decision to hire him. I'm less sure, however, how longtime fans will respond - not that he made this movie for them, anyway.

Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

I find it hard to approach the just released trailer as anything but a Raimi fan, so it's hard to say what I'm feeling about it comes from the simple fact that it's so far removed from his typical style and what comes from a more objective place. But I will say this: They're clearly going to make very flagrant use of the 3D elements, I'm not at all happy with how cartoony some of the CGI elements look and feel and I'm a little uneasy with James Franco in the lead. Take a look at the trailer below and judge for yourself.