This prequel explains the Wizard’s backstory. After an enchanting opening title sequence, a scruffy traveling magician (James Franco, who’s kinda bland) gets blown into a fantastic world of magic and talky witches. Like the Wizard, I wasn’t sure where it was headed. The visual style and EFX are either very stylized or very cheesy. There are some truly magical moments, while others are slow and maudlin. Some of the supporting characters (including a monkey and porcelain girl) are delightful. Children won’t be as picky and will likely be thoroughly enchanted. More demanding grownups may be charmed at times and yawning at others.