“Oz the Great and Powerful,” a prequel to the original “Wizard of Oz” movie, may not quite reach the level that the name implies. The experience is more like a carnival adventure ride than a film on its own. Though the CGI-infused effects may envelop the film with vibrant colors and beauty, it doesn’t quite make up for the awkward performances, poor storyline, and overall blandness. The movie has potential; and, in fact, may be worth a viewing just for the eye-popping 3D experience. But, in the end, “Oz” falls short.

The movie begins, as expected, in Kansas. Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco) is a magician in a traveling circus, who gets through life both on and off stage through trickery and deceit. A few minutes into the film, he gets caught in a tornado while flying in his hot air balloon. Fearing that the end is near, he nonetheless survives the disaster, and gets somehow transported to the world of Oz.

As a clear homage to the original, the film changes when we get to Oz. Originally in an old-fashioned black-and-white, the magical world of Oz is suddenly displayed in all of its spectacular color and beauty. Giant luminescent red and pink flowers open their petals; tiny water fairies whistle and hum; monkeys fly and wear bell-hop outfits; and a town, including the people within it, is made entirely out of china. In 1939, such CGI technology was unthinkable. In a way, though, this may have been a good thing. Many films of the 1930’s have had a long-lasting legacy because they did not focus too much on set designs and special effects. Instead they worked more on the story, the directing, the acting, and the overall movie experience. “The Wizard of Oz” has stood the test of time for 70 years. “Oz the Great and Powerful,” however, may not be remembered after 2013.

Ironically, the most emotion-driven parts of “Oz” are those that are artificially created. The two most memorable characters are a flying monkey and a little china girl. Becoming friends with Oz, they are the first to cause him to break from his selfish, egotistical ways. The little china girl is a particularly brilliant creation. When being picked up and cradled by Oz, or just seeing a close-up of her tiny glass face, it is hard not to be captivated by this very real looking creature. And somehow, these two computer-generated characters manage to provide a deeper impression than any actual human in the film.

James Franco seems particularly out of place as our title character. Its almost as if he is playing a play version of himself within a movie. An argument could be made that this is a Disney movie, after all. But it could have been a more mature version of the role; without all the choppiness, the childish high-pitched voice, or the theatrical hand gestures. Mila Kunis, as a witch named Theodora, falls victim to the same version of overacting. Though beginning as a good witch in the movie, she is transformed into an evil witch by her own sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz), who was the original evil witch all along. Kunis down-plays the menacing qualities of the character by being particularly whiny, not even bothering to change the tone of her voice when she turns evil. It is nowhere near the nasty ugliness of the original Wicked Witch of the West.

The only hope here comes from Rachel Weisz as the evil witch Evanora, and Michelle Williams as Glinda the Good Witch. Both performances are just the right amount of Disney-archetype, while also not becoming too cliched or predictable. Complete opposites of each other, the two make an interesting contrast, especially in their final climactic battle scene.

In the end, “Oz the Great and Powerful” is not a completely regrettable experience. There were times that director Sam Raimi’s classic style shined through, especially when referencing the original film, such as when we first witness the tiny munchkins and they start to dance and sing a song. But it doesn’t go quite as far as it could, and even scenes like this are cut off right before they started to get good. It’s almost as if Raimi did not have complete creative control over this film, as he has with most of his movies in the past. Because it is really just an over-done version of a classic tale, dulled down for children but never quite achieving what it had the potential to. Go see it for the 3D visuals. But don’t expect too much else.