Never having been a huge “Wizard of Oz” fan, I drug my feet going to go see “Oz the Great and Powerful.”

 “Oz the Great and Powerful” is a prequel to the movie version of “The Wizard of Oz,” yet it is nothing like “Wicked.”

But let’s face it – who cares about the wizard? Witches are more dramatic and just better all around.

After the long, sepia-toned intro of how Oscar, or Oz the great and powerful wizard (James Franco), is a low-life scam artist, and the “must-have” 3D effects of a tornado, the movie picks up.

Oscar wanders about the Land of Oz and runs into Theodora (Mila Kunis), who helps him escape from the wicked witch. When Theodora talks about the riches the wizard receives, Oscar is all ready to become the wizard everyone wants and needs to save the land.

There’s one problem though. The witches have actual magic, while Oscar just pretends and uses mind tricks.

The movie allows those who watched the “The Wizard of Oz” to guess what happens – there’s a bad witch, a green witch, Glinda the good witch and flying monkeys about. Because of copyrights and trademarks, “Oz the Great and Powerful” had to forgo the ruby slippers and many other familiar characters.

But you do get to meet new companions, such as a teapot girl and a non-scary, flying monkey.

Oscar helps Glinda form an army that uses their specialties and give them hope of a land without the wicked witch.

Of course, the movie leaves room for a sequel because Oz has many years before he’s the old wizard we know. Also, Dorothy and her house haven’t dropped into the land yet.