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Summary: Return To OZ, a lasting memory
Review: This wonderfully mastered film is a realistic twitst on the over-optimistic view the original land of Oz. The "dark" tone the movie takes on paralles the events occuring in the actual life of Dorthy beyond her imaginary world of Oz. The characters such as Tick-tock and Jack are new, creative, and everlasting. When I first saw this film I must have been very young because the even name escaped my mind; however, the characters, plot, and meaning of the film are anchored in my mind even to this day. Being a childhood fan of the original film the Wizard of Oz, I was intrigued by the idea that somewhere in the world was another story, an extention to the first. I made it a personal goal to find this film and was filled with that childhood joy when I did. Since then this film has become a renewed personal favorite as well as a family favorite to my niece and nephew. This a film for any Oz lover as well as any true film critic/lover. It will open up avenues of dicussion wether you watch it for pure enjoyment or for an indepth critical analysis.
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Summary: I LOVE this movie!
Review: I wish people would quit basing their judgement of this movie on the 1939 Wizard of Oz. The '39 movie is a better movie, yes, but Return to Oz is better OZ, as anyone who has read the books can tell you. The books are in fact often very dark and frightening, as this movie also often is.Return to Oz does an admirable job of combining elements of the two books that followed The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into one story, with the addition of an expanded Kansas storyline. The performances are wonderful all around, as are the special effects (including groundbreaking-for-its-time claymation.) And true Ozophiles will catch numerous glimpses of many characters from the books in the final triumphant scenes, which is a nice little added bonus. Of the rash of fantasy films of this type that came out in the mid 80's (think Legend, Neverending Story, etc.), this is by far one of the very best. For fans of fantasy, or just good movies in general, I cannot recommend Return to Oz enough.
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Summary: May oz live forever
Review: The best thing about this film in my opinion is the music score,most notably the scene where Dorothy is in the attic in Mombi's castle and she is forlorn,and the closing credits music.I have searched for years after repeat hirings at my video store and found it at a video warehouse and grabbed it!Does anyone else have a strange sentimental connection with this mega film?
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Summary: One of the eeriest movies ever made.
Review: I caught this movie on the Disney Channel and it really freaked me out. I was thinking it was going to be on the lines of the original but this is a grand example of how the times have changed. An extremely dark film, actually feels more socially realistic than the classic original. Return to Oz felt like a post-apocolyptic Oz movie. The incredibly freaky atmosphere made me cringe with excitement. However, the ending left me a gritty feeling in my mouth. I wish there was a sequel!
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Summary: The Return to Oz Is Excellent
Review: The return to oz is an awsome movie that may come across as dark as compaired to the wizard of oz. However, this movie is much better than the first. It is a movie that, once seen, will stay in your mind forever if you like it or not. I remember seeing this movie when i was much younger, and I still recall many details about it. I suggest that you get this movie
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Summary: Not the Oz Most of You Grew Up With, But Still a Classic.
Review: Chances are, if you're reading this amature review you've probably seen the original Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland but have never seen Return to Oz. Return to Oz takes place where the original left off. Except that Dorothy is stuck in a mental hospital. She escapes and one way or another ends up back in Oz with her talking chicken. (Please don't judge the movie prematurly just because it has a talking chicken.) When we see Oz we find that the yellow brick road is smashed and destroyed, the Emerald City is in shambles, and all of Dorothy's friends are turned to stone. That's as far as I'll go, because that's all the premise you need to know before you actually see the movie. This movie is ingenious in so many ways. It revolutionized claymation, and special effects, the costumes are out of this world, and the adventure that Dorothy is apart of is indescribable. Return to Oz is deffinitly way more darker than the original. Very gothic, with a sense of tension that keeps building until the final climax. Please, if you have respect for the movie genre, don't prejudge this classic movie that has finally been re-released. Because not only will it entertain you, but if you happen to have a younger sibling who is singing the yellow brick road song over and over, show em' Return to Oz and watch their face turn white. Enjoy.
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Summary: In the spirit of L. Frank Baum
Review: I admit I went to see "Return to Oz" because I loved "The Wizard of Oz" so much. But producer Gary Kurtz, director Walter Murch and writer Gil Dennis (working from L. Frank Baum's original novel, "The Marvelous Land of Oz") sensibly decided -not- to create a sequel "in the spirit" of the original movie, but to return instead to Baum's own darker vision. The result is a story which is by turns scary and delightful, and one where the marvelous clay and stop-motion animation contributes to the sense of the fantastic. There are frightening parts of this movie -- the early scenes of Dorothy in a sanitarium, about to undergo shock treatment are particularly intense -- but they provide a great catharthis and introduction to what follows. Fairuza Balk, as Dorothy, was exceptional, displaying the perfect blend of fear, wonder, determination and ingenuity while foiling the plots of the Nome King (Nicol Williamson) and Mombi the Witch (Jean Marsh). The new characters of Tik Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead and Gump are delightful as well. You may wish to watch this with your (age seven and older) children, or just sit back on a scary night and watch it alone. For those who enjoy the fantastic, "The Wizard of Oz" has the edge in whimsy, but "Return to Oz" brings the touch of fearful reality that gives true fantasy its edge.
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Summary: BETTER THAN THE WIZARD OF OZ ORIGINAL MGM MOVIE
Review: Dorothy and her hen Billina are magically carriedback to Oz, which the Gnome King has conquered and turned the people into stone. Dorothy and Billina make three new friends, Tiktok the Machine Man, Jack Pumpkinhead the Pumpkinheaded man, and the Flying Gump. This is far better than the MGM Movie in my opinion. True it may be more 'darker', but I like it that way...I watched it first when I was nine, and it has always been one of my all-time favorite movies. Its an adaptation of 'Land of Oz' and 'Ozma of Oz' by L. Frank Baum and makes a thrilling sequel to 'Wizard of Oz' altogether. Its NOT a sequel to the MGM Movie however, and I thought the actors, actressess, characters and plotlines were far better than those in the Wizard of Oz MGM Movie...The Characters are JUST like they are in the books, and the Gnome King and Mombi the Witch made excellent villains. The Gnome King couldnt be played better than he's played by Nicol Williamson. Jack Pumpkinhead, Tiktok, Billina and the Gump seem as if they stepped right out of the books. True, it may be a little frightening for children and there are many unanswered questions which the viewers will wonder about later, but overall, I think this is one of the best movies ever, and any TRUE Oz fan will LOVE it!
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Summary: Dark, Full of Genuine Wonder
Review: "Return to Oz" and "Time Bandits" were two of the only children's films I saw as a kid that made me feel like I was in the hands of film-makers who respected me--these films were unflinching, even scary, but ultimately full of more wonder than anything most films for younger kids can hope to offer today. "Oz" is a dark, almost gothic movie, but it manages to squeeze sweetness and golly-gee optimism in amidst the gloom--much more valuable an achievement than uniformly coating a film with chintz and labelling it "for children". And while little kids may not be ready for it, especially ones who are still stuck on the splendor and color of the first film, I wouldn't advise you to write this clever flick off without seeing it--especially if your child is a budding fantasy or sci-fi fan.
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Summary: excellently eerie!
Review: i saw this movie as a child (i was 4 i think) and it freaked me out, especially the wheelies and the queen's different heads! this movie has such an eerie atmosphere it makes it really freaky and it is best viewed on a quiet day in the afternoon by yourself with noone else in the house. if you understand why these conditions would make a movie of this nature THAT much better to view than you obviously are a similar type of person to me and are going to really love it... so buy it!
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