Review of The Wiz (1978) by Jesse S — 26 Jan 2008

[i]The Wiz[/i] is widely known as "the black [i]Wizard of Oz[/i]," but that seems unfair to me, as it's a lot more than that. It's a complete re-imagining of the classic, and it's a lot more fun in ways.

It's a visual feast with some truly creative make-up and costumes, and the cast delivers some great vocal performances. The songs are a mixed bag, but most of them are very good, though a few are instantly forgettable.

There are some cool dance numbers, as well, especially the one following the Wicked Witch's death, but I was annoyed by the green/red/yellow song. It went on for way too long. I liked seeing Michael Jackson here, back when he still made good use of his admirable talent-the Scarecrow role really let him show off his dance moves.

The stretch between the Lion and the Emerald City was a bit dull, but that's only a small fraction of the movie, and the rest was very entertaining. A great musical.