Rating: 
Summary: Yes, Dorothy, It's A Horror Film
Review: Invariably the people who don't like RETURN TO OZ are those who are completely devoted to THE WIZARD OF OZ film but have probably never read any of the books; or they are those who expect it to be a children's fantasy or musical. Welcome to a horror film that masquerades as something else. Well, okay, more precisely it's horror fantasy, but you get the idea... the creativity comes straight from the original books. As do the characters. And the situations. And the overall feel of the movie. I wouldn't say kids shouldn't see it, but it does have some pretty harrowing and scary sequences, and Mombi waking up as Dorothy steals the key still gives me a good shock. I've always thought the real problem with the film lay in its marketing. Perhaps if it hadn't been sold as (finally!) a sequel to that family classic of 1939 it would have performed better, and more importantly, been reviewed better (in other words more on its own merits and less in comparison to the original film). Some of the best aspects of the movie are the performances (especially Nicol Williamson, and Fairuza Balk and her gang) and the special effects, particularly the puppetry and the clay animation, which is at times breathtaking. The production design is excellent, and I must also mention the score by David Shire, as it's one of the best film scores of the 1980s. The DVD is not packed with extras, unfortunately, but the presentation is good (with 1.85:1 widescreen and fullscreen versions on the same disc) and the interview with Fairuza Balk is fairly interesting. The introduction is nothing more than Balk saying "Hi, enjoy the film" (well, words mostly to that effect, anyway). The lack of commentary is a disappointment, but I have to admit that this DVD release was one reason I finally bought a DVD player. See this film with an open mind. I think you will like what you see.
Rating:
Summary: A GOOD CONTINUING SAGA
Review: WHEN I FIRST HEARD OF THIS MOVIE I THOUGHT "OH GOD ANOTHER DOROTHY MOVIE, HOW UNORIGINAL". I BELIEVE THE MARKETING OF THIS FILM WASN'T VERY GOOD. EVERYONE WAS COMPARING IT TO THE CLASSIC 1938 JUDY GARLAND VERSION OF THE WIZARD OF OZ & EXPLAINS SOME OF THE BAD REVIEWS. WATCHING IT NOW WITH AN OPEN MIND I REALLY ENJOYED THIS LITTLE GEM. THE ACTING IS ALL VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT SPECIAL EFFECTS, HIGH QUALITY CINEMATOGRAPHY, GREAT SOUNDTRACK (ALBUM IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND). THE SCREEN PLAY IS VERY CLOSE TO FRANK BAUM'S ORIGINAL STORY BOOK. SO WHILE IT'S A DRASTIC DEPARTURE FROM SEEING JUDY GARLAND, I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS FUN TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO DOROTHY GALE WHEN SHE LANDED BACK IN KANSAS. ALSO, THERE'S A LOT OF POSTITIVE MESSAGES IN THIS FILM.
PARENTS SHOULD NOT BE TOO QUICK TO ENTRUST THEIR CHILDREN TO STRANGERS!!!!! HAVING CONFINDENCE IN YOURSELF & BEING TRUE TO YOUR FRIENDS IS VERY IMPORTANT. A WORD OF WARNING TO PARENTS OF SMALL CHILDREN, THIS FILM IS INTENDED MORE FOR THE 1O TO 15 YEAR OLD CROWD & ANY ADULTS WHO LIKE IMAGINATIVE STORIES. SOME OF FRANK BAUMS IDEAS ARE MORE LIKE GRIMS FAIRLY TALES/NIGHTMARES, SO PARENTS OF SMALL CHILDREN, MAKE THEM WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE OLDER TO WATCH THIS ONE.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Movie, Bad DVD
Review: The latest release of "Return to OZ" (a re-release despite Disney saying it's new to DVD on the box) is a mixed blessing. While it's nice to have an anamorphic transfer of the film, the film itself is a disappointing transfer. At least the Anchor Bay version wasn't filled with scratches and dirt as this Dsiney reissue of the film is. Also, I couldn't pick a chapter by pressing a number on the remote but had to hit the forward button to get to the one I wanted. This wasn't a problem with the Anchor Bay version but is on the Disney one. On the other hand, the Disney version has a few more extras than the old release. Besides the short featurette that was on the old release, we have a trailer and some tv spots. The trailer is alright but why bother with those tv spots when they are in such lousy condition. They were pieced together from various sources (most look like 2nd-3rd generation video copies complete with timecode). Anyway, if you have the Anchor Bay version of "Return to Oz", hold on to it but if you want a version that'll fit your widescreen televisions, get the Disney DVD of the film.
Rating: 
Summary: Baum's True Vision
Review: Many people verbaly attack this wonderful story & claim to be "Wizard of Oz" fans, but I being a true fan of everthing "Oz" I love this story as much as "The Wizard of Oz". This movie much truer to L. Frank Baum & John R. Neill's vision of "Oz". Many people expected "The Wizard of Oz 2" which is impossible, this film helped bring a teen-following to the "Oz" stories. This is an adaption of "The Marvelous Land of Oz" & "Ozma of Oz" not "The Wizard of Oz 2". The story features in my opinion only one mistake which is putting Dorothy in shock-treatment. After escaping the hospital Dorothy floats to "Oz" in a chicken coop, her & her talking chicken, Billiana follow a broken Yellow Brick Road to the ruins of the Emerald City, where the evil Mombi is in charge with 31 changeble heads. Dorothy meets Tik-Tok & Jack Pumpkinhead who helps her build a flying "Gump" to flee to the Nome King's mountain, there they rescue the Scarecrow & restore Oz with the return of The Ruby Slippers. The end is a great Parade scene featuring many charecters from the "Oz" books. Over all it's a great film, which deserves a chance. Recomended for children 7+
Rating:
Summary: What a chillingly beautiful fairy-tale odyssey
Review: This Disney "sequel" (it holds the world record with the longest interval after the original movie) is far more serious, more adult, more Gothic, more artful, and nevertheless more true to the original Oz books from the turn of the century. In fact, Tim Burton himself could've made this brooding yet lovely movie! Based on two Oz books, "The Marvelous Land of Oz" and "Princess Ozma of Oz", Dorothy Gale (more like a real child than the post-pubescent Judy Garland) got whisked back to Oz after escaping the witch-like clutches of a tall, dark nurse at a mental hospital where she had been admitted for her "raving" fantasies. Thus she ran into the very colorful Wheelies who happened to be groveling servants of the wicked Mombie, who was so vain she would literally wear the heads of the most beautiful women in the whole land. And...the old witch WANTS the poor innocent little girl's pretty, long-braided head for her grisly collection! Fortunately, our young heroine meets a whole bunch of new Oz friends like Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok Man, and Gump the fantastic flying device to help her escape! However, our most favorite fairyland is being held fast in the ruthless iron fist of the evil Nome King, so it's up to Dorothy to SAVE the very land she had grown to love. What a wonderfully whimsical fantasy tale so deftly woven with the clever combination of puppetry and claymation (ooh...you should've seen the smooth transformation of the rock-faced old Nome King into a real human being!) And quite unlike the more circus-like 1939 film, this one will be more of a dreamy flight through the fanciest visions any fantasy lover could conjure up! Oh, and you'll get to meet your dearest old friends like Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and The Cowardly Lion, though they only appear for the briefest seconds.:(
Rating:
Summary: A MUST SEE! 15th april 2004.
Review: I wanted this film for ages, but they don't sell it anywhere, and amazon was where i managed to get it from. ACE film, about a girl who's house blew away in a tornado and now they are living in the middle of nowhere apart from nearby. [similar to wizard of oz]Dorothy gale from kansas ends up in oz again, but it has been turned into something bad since she last went........
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful to Look At
Review: This movie is a visual treat, but be warned--it is not a spiritual sequel to the classic MGM version of "The Wizard of Oz." This movie is much more in keeping with the tone of L. Frank Baum's original novels than the beloved Judy Garland movie and may be too disturbing for young children. The story takes place after the twister devastated the Gale house. Dorothy (Fairuza Balk) is depressed, and no one wants to believe her stories about her trip to Oz. Finally, in hopes of curing her of her delusions, Auntie Em (Piper Laurie) takes Dorothy to see a psychiatrist in the big city. The psychiatrist convinces Auntie Em that all Dorothy needs is a bit of shock treatment to make her better. Auntie Em leaves Dorothy in the Doctor's care, but before he can give her the treatment, a fierce electrical storm cuts off power to the hospital. Dorothy escapes with the help of a mysterious girl, and gets swept down a raging river. She winds up back in Oz where she if befriended by a talking hen, Jack Pumpkinhead, and the robotic Tick Tock. Oz has fallen on bad times, overrun by the Gnome King (Nicol Williamson, happily chewing the scenery) and his ally, the evil Princess Moombi (Jean Marsh, who gives a fun performance). It is up to Dorothy and her friends to restore Oz to what once it was. The real stars of this movie are the design and the puppetry. The movie is a visual feast. However, it is also slow going. I can't imagine kids sitting through it easily. It's hard enough for adults. The pacing is awkward and Fairuza Balk (in her screen debut) doesn't have the charaisma to be sufficiently entertaining to keep the viewer's interest in the slow parts. It's hard to strongly recommend this movie to casual viewers, but those who enjoy beautiful set design, effective camera work, excellent special effects, and superb animation may be sufficiently entertained. The DVD allows you to choose between letterbox and fullscreen presentation. It also includes an introduction by Fairuza Balk (she doesn't have anything terribly interesting to say, unfortunately) and an interview featurette. I suspect that people who enjoy the movie for its technical achievements will be disappointed by the featurette, especially if they are seeking more insight into the work that went into making the movie. If you enjoy this movie, you may also like "James and the Giant Peach", "The Iron Giant", "The Nightmare before Christmas", and "The Wizard of Speed and Time". (C)2001 Joe Edkin
Rating:
Summary: Oz Purists Will Love This Great Fantasy Film!
Review: Warning: If you're looking for a second helping of the Judy Garland movie, this is not the one. There is no singing or cute Munchkins ! I love this movie because it's based on some of the later books written by L. Frank Baum in his Oz series: "The Wizard of Oz" was only the first one! This movie is based on two of L. Frank Baum's later Oz books: "The Land of Oz" and "Ozma of Oz". The movie is great in that it's very faithful to the series, and Oz readers will love it. I like how they paid attention to such details like Jack Pumpkinhead's clothing and Tik-tok's design; and even many of the lines spoken in the movie are straight from the books! Oz books aside, if you enjoy fantasy films you'll like this one. It's in the same vein as "Labyrinth" and "The NeverEnding Story", two other movies that I enjoyed. There are creative characters and interesting effects: my favorite in this one is the Nome King. The acting is not bad. But I found the Wheelers, some of the villians, a bit tiring. There are definitely scary parts in this movie: You see the Deadly Desert in action, rocks sprout eyes, and someone dies. Please read some of the other reviews: I think most are pretty accurate in their thoughts and opinions (esp the two by Steven W Hill and Jonathan Valuckas). The person who hated the movie probably only saw the first one and was expecting a cute musical. This movie is pretty dark but enjoyable. Oh yeah, can you believe it was produced by Disney? ^_^
Rating:
Summary: The BEST Return to Oz I have Seen!
Review: My dad helped me order this DVD of my favourite movie, and even though it was "out of stock", I STILL GOT IT IN 1 WEEK FROM WHEN I ORDERED IT!! Iwas SO excited!! The movie was fantastic, the music is brilliant, and the Menu is excellent. when you play this movie, it first ask 'would tou like to see this in Full-frame or Widescreen?" - I pick the Widescreen - and then just before the opening credits of the movie, Fairuza Balk (now grown-up, 1999) says Hi to us and comments on us seeing the movie. The Ruby Slippers were SO BEAUTIFUL - MUCH BETTER THAN MGM!! And teh Emearld City was PERFECT!! The music sounds like a mix-up of the Neverending Story, the Worst Witch and a bit of Pokemon. You can really hear the violins/fiddles in the music. The picture of the movie was SO CLEAR and COLOURFUL too.
The Main Menu came up after the movie finished and has the best effect by a rotating OZ symbol and flashing the faces of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Toto, Dorothy's friends and the wicked people.
The "Fairuza Returns to Oz" Interview is 1999 and she talks about what it was like for her to be in the movie, talking about the Special Effects, Director Walter Murch, Cast, the Parade Scene and the other things releated to the movie - like how people asked "where's the video?" and such. We don't see any flashbacks to the movie in the interview, we only see her face.
However, I'm disappointed that this DVD did NOT include the THEATRICAL TRAILER, something I was really looking forward to. I'm aslo a bit disappointed that Glinda wasn't in this movie, asd she appeared in both the 'Marvelous land" and "Ozma" books. I LOVE this movie and I ENJOYED the DVD.
At the moment, I'm working on a letter to Disney Studios about making a "Disney's return to Oz: 20th Anniversary Edition" DVD for 2005. I hoep they approve of this and agree to make it, being disappointed at teh 2004 DVD - which I don't have.
Hope you enjoyed my DVD Review.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie, Bad DVD
Review: The latest release of "Return to OZ" (a re-release despite Disney saying it's new to DVD on the box) is a mixed blessing. While it's nice to have an anamorphic transfer of the film, the film itself is a disappointing transfer. At least the Anchor Bay version wasn't filled with scratches and dirt as this Dsiney reissue of the film is. Also, I couldn't pick a chapter by pressing a number on the remote but had to hit the forward button to get to the one I wanted. This wasn't a problem with the Anchor Bay version but is on the Disney one. On the other hand, the Disney version has a few more extras than the old release. Besides the short featurette that was on the old release, we have a trailer and some tv spots. The trailer is alright but why bother with those tv spots when they are in such lousy condition. They were pieced together from various sources (most look like 2nd-3rd generation video copies complete with timecode). Anyway, if you have the Anchor Bay version of "Return to Oz", hold on to it but if you want a version that'll fit your widescreen televisions, get the Disney DVD of the film.
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