Something in me was so excited to see a prequel for “The Wizard of Oz.” I watched that movie over and over as a child and even as I grew older. Though as a little kid I would hide from the scenes with the monkey bats and those frightened me; now I think they are awesome.

But anyway, I assumed “Oz the Great and Powerful” would be somewhere close to as good as at least the adapted-for-stage version of “Wicked.” The actual book is way better than any theater production, but the book being better tends to be the standard when it comes to film and theater.

Well, you know what happens when you assume…

“Oz the Great and Powerful” is good. It was fantastically beautiful to look at. I actually enjoyed the movie in 3-D, more so than any other 3-D film of late.

But the plot was more predictable than necessary and a bit ho-hum overall. It is targeted at families with little kids. Maybe had it been a musical, it would have been something. But as it stands, I wanted a bit more of an adult theme a la the plot of “Wicked.”

James Franco was OK as Oz. Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz were fine as well Glinda and Evanora, respectively. Mila Kunis was probably the best part as Theodora, and she was still nothing to write home about. Actually, I thought Kunis was a bit too sexy when transformed into the green meany.

And because I am a “Family Guy” fan, as with what occurs whenever I see Kunis, my mind kept seeing her character Meg and hearing Peter saying, “Shut up, Meg,” whenever Kunis uttered a line. This doesn’t really take away from films, but it does make me giggle at some odd times when she is on screen. Hopefully Seth MacFarlane will make some references in future episodes.

I think Franco was just not enough of the Great and Powerful Oz I remember from childhood. Rumor has it Robert Downey Jr. was offered the role, but turned it down. Had he taken it, maybe the movie would have resonated better.

Sam Raimi really does capture that old feel of film that the first trip to Oz with Dorothy Gale had, even with all the CGI. The movie will make kids happy and could, for better or worse, even make a remake of “The Wizard of Oz” an idea that is not absolutely terrible.

The whole movie is a worthwhile family film that might spawn further films to create the whole world of Oz and more information into the back stories of the witches, and should be applauded for being a well-done prequel. But if you wanted something “Wicked”-esque, then look somewhere else.

The new trip to Oz was just too childlike for me. As I keep mentioning, I am a “Wicked” fan and want my kid-style movies to have a bit more of the adult humor and themes that appear in the various “Muppet” movies.

Luckily, a “Wicked” movie adaptation is still floating around the Hollywood studios, so maybe my opinion of “Oz the Great and Powerful” will go up if the “Wicked” screenplay receives a green light. Provided the adaptation is as adult-themed as the novel.