Return to Oz

Rating:
Summary: true to baum's vision
Review: I remember watching this movie as a child and being absolutely terrified of some of the characters. This film incoporates some features of Baum's Oz that were lost in the original version, such as the Deadly Desert (which still gives me nightmares), and the fact that ALL Ozian animals can talk (except Toto, and no one knows why). Although Ozma comes into the world of Oz VERY differently in the book series, this film introduces the lovable TikTok and Gump, as well as a Scarecrow who is FAR more loyal to Baum's depiction and the illustrations in his books.

I've watched this on tape so many times that it broke, and if there's any way to wear out a DVD (besides scratching it), I'll probably do that, too! Absolutely fabulous, and a must for all fans of the original Wizard.

Rating:
Summary: kids movies are the pits these days...
Review: This movie was one of the first i ever saw that really opened my eyes right off the bat and it never stopped. I guess i led a sheltered life, never being allowed to watch "scary" things, and i guess my parents figured a sequel to wizard of oz would be good for us, but it scared the dickens out of me, but in a really good way. The electro shock, the storm, the wheelers, the headless witch, and the incredibly imaginative, lunch pail trees, the waddling tock, the green room, this is a gem of a movie. seeing this movie will re awaken your childhood imagination.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie as a kid
Review: I think I first watched this when I was 6 or 7, and it immediately became my favorite movie. My dad used to read me the Oz books before I went to bed, and Ozma was my IDOL at 6, so it was really cool to seem her in it. I also loved seeing Jack Pumpkinhead and Tiktok, and whenever I think of them to this day, I imagine thier Return to Oz selves. The thing I liked most about it, though, was it's SCARINESS. The Nome King freaked me out SO MUCH, and the talking rocks, and the whole hospital scene. I loved it! OTOH, my parents wouldn't let my younger sister watch it for years, which was definitely a good idea, because she was scared very easily at that age.

I finally got to watch it again with this DVD and I was so happy! It's just as weird as I remember. The costume design is my number 1 favorite thing about it now. The Wheelers and Ozma and the changing-heads-lady, especially! I noticed that the special effects were kinda hokey at times, sure, but it didn't detract from the whole experience too much, I don't think.

And no, Return to Oz doesn't follow either the books OR the first movie very closely. But it's still very fun to watch! I highly recommend it to parents of children who like scary movies -- it's freaky and wierd, but not gross or TOO frightening. Lots of excitement for the whole family!

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!!!
Review: It would be impossible to find anything that would hold a candle to the original Wizard of OZ so I was not expecting much when I bought this DVD but I absolutely loved it!!! The graphics were just awesome and you get to see other areas of the magical OZ that we all loved in the original movie and the writers were very creative with this. There was no singing in this movie so don't expect a musical.

To put it short, Dorothy is now in therapy because she can't sleep and no one will believe her when she talks about her adventure on OZ. Her aunt takes her to the doctor who wants to give her shock therapy and as he is just about to do it, a storm knocks the power off and this is where the adventure begins.

Dorothy runs away from the hospital with help from a new found friend and winds up in OZ. Nothing is as it was, the yellow brick road is all broken up and the emerald city is in ruins. What happened and where is everybody??? Well Dorothy finds out and takes us on quite a good adventure where we run into talking rocks, a queen who changes heads as we would change clothes, a population of wheelers, an awesome looking pumpkinheaded being, a different looking tin man, a sweet chicken and a bunch of other wonderfully created beings.

I wish they made more movies like this.



Rating:
Summary: Chillingly Beautiful
Review: So many reviewers have written how this sequel is closer to the spirit of the Oz books than the original movie. I vehemently disagree. Baum's Oz sequels are fun, simple, whimsical, and often silly. Does Dorothy smile even once in "Return"? I think one forced smile at the end.

F. Balk is very good as Dorothy otherwise (considering that she had to fill in for Judy Garland's legendary performance). But this is a compeletely joyless movie.

It is beyond my comprehension that it took 45 years to make a sequel, and this is what they came up with. Atrocious. MGM's "The Wizard of Oz" is near perfect, and this movie nears a complete disaster.

In Fact, the only thing that is worthy of the land of Oz in entertainment form since "The Wizard of Oz" is the new Broadway musical "Wicked." Finally something that makes Oz sense.

Rating:
Summary: Cryptic Beauty, But Oz Never Lost Its Magic
Review: Return to Oz was something I purchased without knowing anything about it. However, I have been an Oz collector for a decade, and if there's anything I've learned, it's to keep an open mind to things like this.

Return to Oz was a pleasent surprise! But I warn you, it's not the Oz you saw in the Judy Garland musical. There are no cute dance numbers, and the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are not men in costumes.

Return to Oz received mixed reviews. Fans of the 1939 classic were offended by its darkness, as if to say, "How dare you show reality in Oz." But what the avid fans of the movie often miss are the BOOKS!!! Return to Oz was never meant to be a sequel to the movie, but to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. It was based on the second and third books of the series.

Return to Oz was very bold, and used all the newest technology of the time. Who else but Disney would be brave enough to touch a classic that was put on a pedestal by Judy Garland fans? Well folks, believe it or not, some people are so closed minded that they thought anything that had "Oz" in it would be fluffy. READ THE BOOKS! Not everything is fluff n' puff.

So don't be shocked when Dorothy is sent to a mental institution, or when you see that the little girl who plays her is not 16 years old. That's right, Dorothy is the age she was originally intended to be: 9. Also don't be shocked that the characters you knew from the first are barely in it.

In the movie, Oz has been overthrown by the evil Gnome King in Dorothy's absence, and all the people of the Emerald City have been turned to stone. So Dorothy comes back to a broken Oz...DON'T BE SHOCKED! Or at least, if you're shocked, keep an open mind because it gets better.

The rest of the film is Dorothy's quest to rescue the Scarecrow, who the Gnome King keeps in his palace as bate for Dorothy. She goes to rescue him of course, and after many grim adventures and after finding some enchanting new friends, everything ends happily ever after.

The acting and music were superb, and if you're an Oz fan you'll love it. It's a bit much for the kids (it has sometimes been classified as a horror movie) but most kids can handle it.

It's worth ever cent! I hope you buy it, because you will enjoy it!

God bless!