"Oz the Great and Powerful" aims for nostalgia in older viewers who grew up on "The Wizard of Oz" and still hold the classic dear while simultaneously enchanting a newer, younger audience. It never really accomplishes either successfully.
From the random salute to James Bond to the non-sequiturial "Chicago" revival to Seth MacFarlane's predictably fratty but unpredictably tedious stint as a host — dear Rob Lowe and Snow White: All is forgiven — this year's Oscars were even more tumefied and wearisome than usual.
You think the Academy Awards are boring? Try the nominations. They only last a few minutes, but it's generally a sleepy academy suit and a sleepy starlet droning a list of names at 5:30 in the morning.
More surprising even than the popular success and entertainment value of this year's best picture field is that the nominees — with the exception of "Amour" — have actually been films with a positive, traditional message.
Seth MacFarlane might be the hardest working man in show business.
Seth MacFarlane might be the hardest working man in show business.
Despite getting advice from Billy Crystal and working as hard as he can to prepare to host the Academy Awards, Seth MacFarlane thinks his hosting gig is a "one-off" and that he'll be "flayed by the press" no matter what he does.
Despite getting advice from Billy Crystal and working as hard as he can to prepare to host the Academy Awards, Seth MacFarlane thinks his hosting gig is a "one-off" and that he'll be "flayed by the press" no matter what he does.
Make no mistake, "Parental Guidance" is a dog of a movie that stretches a half-hour's worth of situation comedy into feature length. It's mawkish, trite and written at the level of an episode of "The Nanny."
