Review of Return to Oz (1985) by C H — 13 Jun 2010
Okay, I'll be fair rating this film because I might be a bit biased about it. The film does respect the raw source material, which would be the unbelievably strange books, but not in the slightest does it respect the 1930's classic Oz.
I know that this film wasn't exactly intended for kids to watch, but when published by Disney, it's hard to tell. Anyway though, if you were a big fan of the Wizard of Oz film musical from 1939, be ready for a nasty shock: not an ounce of its heart or charm is in this movie.
The scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion are all gone, and instead, we get a mechanical Teddy Roosevelt, a proto-model for Jack Skellington, and a reindeer sleigh....I mean the sleigh IS a reindeer. It's kinda like the cat being the bus from 'My Neighbor Totoro', minus the fun.
If you've seen the reindeer from the horrid 'Santa Claus' movie of 1959, there we are, it's now in an Oz film. The new characters of the film are an annoying talking hen, a group of freaky thugs named the Wheelers, a spirit that stalks Dorothy through the earth, and plenty more.
Even the beginning part before Dorothy enters Oz drags on with its eerie tale of what happened after she came back from Oz the first time around. It may please those that always enjoy a dark twist to stories, but for this particular dark twist, I was not satisfied; rather appalled.
4/10.
This review of Return to Oz (1985) was written by C H on 13 Jun 2010.
Return to Oz has generally received positive reviews.
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