Rating: 
Summary: No words can describe...
Review: No words can describe this movie. It is a timeless classic set to a (at the time)futuristic setting. The singing is magical and the talent is even more of a treat. Diana Ross brings so much feeling to this role, that her song "Home" puts me to tears everytime I watch it. I have never heard a voice with so much emotion and substance. If there is one movie that is a must in your DVD collection...This is it.
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Summary: Excellent Family Fun!
Review: I saw this movie for the first time when I was four years old. I enjoyed it very much. We rented it from a small movie shop that went out of business and I didn't see it for seven years after the shop closed. I got it as a birthday gift from our next door neighbors and now seeing it, I realize its greatness! It shows Dorothy, who is a kindergarten teacher afraid to go out and meet people. The movie stays very true to the original which I liked, and the talent was excellent! It also shows the development of Dorothy after she meets the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. She becomes much more open with people and she's less shy. Not exactly politically correct, but that's not neccasarily a bad thing. GO GET IT! IT'S WONDERFUL!
Rating: 
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable
Review: The Wiz is a fantastic family movie featuring an all-black cast headed by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. It is set in the year of '78 when it was made and not in Kansas but in a big city. It is based on the musical "WIZ" which was performed a year before this masterful motion picture. The songs are wonderful (though they may take up a little too much space in the room, leaving less room for dialogue) and the acting is often Academy-Award-winning if you know what I mean. I am soon to buy this film on DVD and I hope that you do too. I mean, the only problem is the songs take up too much space, but that is all. THE WIZ is a spectacular musical film...no doubt about it!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT MOVIE!
Review: Loved this movie as a child and I'm loving it now! A great musical, with excellent backdrops and catchy tunes. My favorite is the Tin Man. (Ateeedey Ateeedey) :'-(
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Summary: A Motown Production
Review: I love this film. My favorite musical film. A rare treat. I enjoyed this movie since my childhood. Pretty Good!
Rating:
Summary: I've Changed My Mind
Review: OK, OK...I will admit that I trashed this movie over in the VHS section, but understand my only copy was one that I taped from a television showing and it had been badly butchered (edited) by the network to fit the time slot. So my most recent memory of The Wiz has been this terrible copy of this 1978 musical. I recently decided to give it another chance to win me over. I purchased the DVD version, and I must admit this new, crisp, complete film with its remastered soundtrack, is a much more watchable and entertaining experience. We all know the story, Dorothy goes to Oz via whirling snowstorm, meets up with band of misfits who through their harrowing experiences together learn they can all be better than they had ever imagined. And that life can be good no matter where you live. In the past, the cropped version diminished the entire focus of the story, and made it feel dark, and claustrofobic but now
the Widescreen format greatly enhances the scope of the movie, giving it a more important feel. The color is so much brighter than before that I couldn't believe all the details I had missed that are now clearly visable. The scene where the Munchkins come alive off the Grafitti wall, is really very cool. There are entire scenes I had forgotten about that are now included, like the one where Dorothy and others are in the OZ motel room talking about having to kill Evilene. I had not seen that one since 1978, and had forgotten it entirely. I still have problems with some of the performances, and I still believe that it was poorly edited, but all in all I was very impressed with the brand new feel of this movie and if you have not seen it in the DVD format, do so, you will be suprised at the difference. I am now looking forward to seeing it again and again. The extras on the DVD, are pretty standard, with Trailers and the like. There is a very dated special presentation about the making of the Wiz in which Sidney Lumet discusses his vision of this timeless tale.
Rating: 
Summary: Ease on down road...
Review: I use to be in love with Micheal Jackson, and watch "The Wiz" every chance I get playing the 'Scarecrow'. I loved the song "No bad news". Diana Ross, she did an okay job. Great cameo appearance by Miss Lena Horne, playing the 'Good Witch'.
Rating:
Summary: What happened to the Great musicals..?
Review: I have to admit I'm impressed with many facets of "The Wiz"; seeing the great Lena Horne singing "If You Believe" is enough. She's still as gorgeous as ever. With the many up 'n coming young Black actresses of the time, it's a shame they used Diana Ross to such poor advantage. In 1978, Debbie Allen or Irene Cara (and I'm sure, many others) could've really kicked some...with the role. Diana proved she could carry a lead role in 1972's "Lady Sings the Blues", but I'm afraid she didn't convince me in this role, though her performance was confident. Michael Jackson is so good at so many things; I'm glad he chose not to make any more narrative films. Nipsey Russell (Tin Man) and Ted Ross (Lion) are wonderful, as is Mabel King (the bad Witch, Evillene). The immensely talented Sidney Lumet directed (12 Angry Men, Serpico, Network), and there's a consistant feeling of angst (I guess, as there should be, but wasn't so prevalent in the original "Wizard of Oz"). The true fantasy element was missing. Most of my comments to this point are perhaps a bit too subjective; it's very hard to review a film musical as recent (?) as this. The last great, successful film musical to this point was Norman Jewison's "Fiddler on the Roof" in '71. For some odd reason, the public lost its interest in great Broadway musicals transferred to the screen. Who can forget the brilliance of "My Fair Lady" or "The King & I"? They still work very well today. Why not "The Wiz" (or "Evita"). I have to agree that they simply don't have the same charm. Could it be George Cukor (My Fair Lady) or Walter Lang (King & I), the old-school, attention-to-detail kind of directors who brought their old-school charm and savvy to those films? Lumet is known for biting satire and gritty drama. "The Wiz" on stage is exhuberant and lively. There's really no social issue involved; "The Wiz", though all-Black, is totally devoid of any sense of racism (another social issue Lumet might've enhanced...and I'm very glad he didn't). "The Wiz" was nominated for 4 Oscars (Cinematography, Sets, Costumes and Adapted Score). I've been wanting to see this for many years and was pleased to find this at the video store on DVD (recently released). This is a worthy film, historically, for the reasons I've mentioned. I don't understand why the closing logo was in a 2.35:1 Letterbox, and the rest of the film was 1.85:1. The price, too, is way out of line, because there are virtually no extras (a trailer and some written character studies...Ross, Jackson, etc. could've been around to give some commentary ...or something...anything). The sets were quite stunning; a wider letterbox would've been appropriate. I would like to have seen the film directed by a less-controversial director...Herbert Ross or even Spielberg...since the most socially conscious issue is a young girl who only wants to go home. The musical adaptation by Quincy Jones was complete and most enjoyable. Do I love this film? No. But I admire so many things about it. See for yourself. Rent it, and, afterwards, decide if you want to buy it. Oh...what happened to the great old Hollywood musical...?
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Summary: Two part review
Review: I rented this movie because my 5 year old will be performing to the song "You Can't Win" from "The Wiz" and I wanted her to get a flavor of the whole musical. Well, watching a movie with a five-year-old is different that later evaluating the movie by yourself as an adult. She enjoyed it and I did too, although after reading other people's less than positive reviews, I can see what they mean. Hence, this is a two-part review. For some reason I found myself with tears of nostalgia in my eyes as I was recalling seeing the Broadway musical with my brothers and sisters when I was about 7. The other reviewers are the ones that hyped me to the fact the essential story line when translated from Broadway to Hollywood. Stephanie Mill's version of Dorothy was preferable. To hear her, listen to the remake she did about 5-10 years ago on her album. However, Diana Ross' version of "Home" seemed heartfelt; the tears seemed real. In how many musicals do the characters actually cry during performing a piece? Where Ms. Ross excelled was in her dancing, not the acting. (As far as her acting, she really didn't improve in age in her movie with Brandy several years ago.) However, as another reviewer mentioned, she cut the rug with her silver-shoed self! I know I would have been tripping and falling down the road instead of easing if I had to wear those shoes! If you'll notice, even the cowardly lion had to wear some platform shoes in his costume and still had to dance! As in the 1939 movie, the actors who played Dorothy's friends had to be very agile and sing in what had to have been very uncomfortable makeup and costumes. And it's not like any of the scenes were done in one take! This movie was the last in an era when actors and actresses could act, sing and dance, when necessary. Now, the current crop of actors can only do one of them, unless they started in one field and decided to expand to another (no, not you Shaq!). The dances, songs (lyrics and orchestration), costumes, makeup and sets were the real stars of this show. If you think, "Then what else is there to a movie?', that's where the second part of my review comes in. The plot, on second examination, does seem kind of patched together from several source materials- New York, West Side Story style (another stage-adapted movie with a miscast lead but won Oscars, by the way), The Wizard of Oz book, the Wizard of Oz 1939 movie and the stage play. I personally liked seeing the urban decay because, living in Chi-town, there are some neighborhoods and sweatshops depicted like the ones in the movie. Plus, the movie didn't have Dorothy, in the beginning, yearning for something. That's what made the transformation, in other versions, from her humdrum existence to the magical, colorful land of Oz so enchanting, yet so overwhelming and frightening that it made her appreciate the people she left behind. Dorothy, in this movie seemed to be content- it was her aunt who wanted to kick her out into the world. And it would have been nice, if like in the 1939 version, the friends she met were at the house gathering. Plus, what was the resolution to her life? Did she move out? Did she take the high school teaching job? To other critics about Richard Pryor, this movie might have been made right during the time when he either ill or substance abusing, therefore, not making him the Richard Pryor of old. However, couldn't you find humor in someone so pathetic that he couldn't win any election he ever ran for except being a dogcatcher (and he said this in front of Dorothy, the avowed dog-lover!)? Yes, the mood was dark, but so have other musicals or other seeming children's movies- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory (how about the tunnel scene and whatever happened to the kids), Matilda, Return to Oz, The Nightmare before Christmas, the recent remake of The Grinch (come on, Ron!). But hey, so is life in the big city and that's what the movie was addressing. The only scene I did find out of place for a G-rated movie was the torture scene of Dorothy's friends, not to mention the fact that she allowed them to be tortured but not her beloved dog)! I could go on about the plusses and minuses but all in all, if you want a good rollicking time with music and dances that will stay with you, see this- with people under 12 who aren't movie critics! Not to pick, but it seemed as if the people who most dished the movie were males. My suggestion- see the cable series, OZ which is out on video. I guarantee, you can't compare that to the original book or movie. Another tidbit, the 1939 version was not the first, as explained at the end of the video. Last tidbit about the original, the song, "Somewhere Under the Rainbow" was almost cut because the movie was running too long. Would your beloved Judy Garland have had a career without it? Here's one the funniest exchanges in "The Wiz": Dorothy: You're a fake. (to the Wizard)
Scarecrow: Yeah, as P.T. Barnum said, 'There's a sucker born every minute.'
Tin Man: Yeah, I was there when he said, although I didn't think I'd be one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Rocks over Wizard of Oz!!!!!
Review: Cool film! My mom got me into it. She knew that I liked The Wizard of Oz.Well, would I lke The Wiz? I saw the movie and I loved it!(I was 5) When I was 7, I was in love with the movie. Now I'm 10 and I still like it! What I like about is the rock music, dancing and humor. If you didnt see this movie, rent/buy it! It's better than The Wizard of Oz's music!!!!!
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