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List Price: $14.99 | | Label: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Salesrank: 1344
Released: February 3, 2004 |
| Our Price: $7.78 |
| Used Price: $9.01 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Dorothy finds herself back in the land of Oz, where she meets both new friends and new enemies.
Genre: Feature Film Family
Rating: PG
Release Date: 3-FEB-2004
Media Type: DVD
Description of Return to Oz:
You don't fool with Mother Nature, spit into the wind, remake Casablanca, or trash the land of Oz. Perhaps that is why the 1985 live-action sequel split critics and audiences alike. The 1939 classic musical is so beloved that it's almost impossible to imagine seeing Dorothy in shock therapy, a crumbled yellow brick road, the ruins of Emerald City, and the Tin Man turned into stone. But L. Frank Baum, the author of the original Oz books, portrayed just that with his continuing stories of Dorothy. When you get by these tough facts, the film version is solid entertainment for the over-7 set.
Dorothy (a 10-year-old Fairuza Balk in her debut) is back in Kansas, where Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) is at the end of her rope: her niece is not sleeping and going on about a place called Oz. Therapy may be the answer, but luckily the scary clinic goes dark before Dorothy can be, er, cured (but the lead-up will scare the munchkins out of most kids). She wakes up in the land of Oz, now in tatters, and searches for its king, the Scarecrow. A new set of friends, including a tin soldier, a talking chicken, and a pumpkin man, help her against new villains, including Princess Mombi (Jean Marsh)--complete with a set of detachable heads--and the evil Nome King (Nicol Williamson with a great assist from Will Vinton's Claymation). The sole directorial effort of Oscar-winning editor Walter Murch is stuffed with marvelous effects that foreshadow later works by Tim Burton and the Henson non-Muppet films. --Doug Thomas
Return to Oz Reviews:
Return to Oz is the real deal! 
2008-09-29 - This movie is the real deal! Check out "Ozma of Oz" and "The Land of Oz," which take place after the events in the "Wizard of Oz" to see how L. Frank Baum envisioned Oz and then compare them to this movie. Walter Murch, not only got the look and feel of Oz right, but he also got the personalities of these new characters correct. Watch this movie to learn what Oz was really like. Jack Pumpkinhead deserves our love as much as the Scarecrow! Bettina the chicken is more Dorothy's pet than Toto. Enjoy the diversity of L. Frank Baum's imagination! You won't be disappointed. This is a GREAT film!!!
I, too, had been brainwashed by the MGM-version of OZ, so much so that I wouldn't even read the OZ book series. It was in my 20's, while recovering from surgery that I started to read the L. Frank Baum books. I found them to be much richer, interesting, darker and with deeper personal relationships than the MGM Wizard OZ-lite version. I was hooked.
When this movie came out, I was enthralled and amazed. There were other people who loved the original stories as much as me! Fairuza Balk is an age-appropriate Dorothy; Dorothy did have a pet chicken named Bettina that is featured in many of the "Oz" books who talked and eventually decided to remain in Oz; the importance of Jack Pumpkinhead cannot be overstated for the rest of the "Oz" books and is an interesting statement on certain stereotypes (which I won't mention because it would be a spoiler); the storyline of how Oz had changed while Dorothy was gone can be seen as commentary of how Kansas had changed after the twister and on how much Dorothy had changed as a result of her visiting Oz; etc. While many people have commented on how scary the movie is, there are also girl-positive, funny and very magical parts to this movie. While it is not appropriate for the very young (and neither is the "Wizard of Oz" for that matter), it is perfect for ages around ten and older. They read, see and hear of more frightening events daily. My suggestion to you is: Go ahead! Give it a try! :) I don't think you'll be sorry!
FOOTNOTE: Prior to Return to Oz's opening, Disney released a "Making Of" documentary that showed how they filmed the claymation of the Gnome King (this was a very novel technique then), how the witch transferred the different heads, how the heads had different expressions while in the closet, the workings of Tic-Toc (who I fell in love with), the animation of the Gump (another lovable creature), how the costumes of the Wheelies were made and the how the actors moved in the costumes and more details. The documentary also presented some amazing-but-true urban myths about the two Oz movies, such as: Fairuza Balk, Walter Murch and Ray Bolger believed that the land of Oz truly existed. Another story was that the coat worn by Frank Morgan, when he played the traveling salesman in "The Wizard of Oz," was bought as a thrift store so that it had that look of wear and dirt. In order to fit Frank Morgan, a seamstress inverted a sleeve and found the name "L. Frank Baum" embroidered inside! This had the effect of totally freaking out the set of the MGM studio, while others felt like they now had L. Frank's blessing. I remember that Frank Morgan himself relayed this story in the documentary. Ray Bolger was very old and possibly, one of the last main characters to be alive at the time of this documentary. He was propped up by pillows and it looked like it took some effort for him to talk. However, he told the story of how, when he auditioned, he pleaded to be considered for the role of the Scarecrow. When asked why, Ray answered something like, to have more time with Do-ro-thy, of course. (You remember the way he said the name "Dorothy," right?) There were other very cool remembrances that I'm sure I've forgotten. But this documentary really helped bridge the MGM-Oz with the Disney-Oz. If anyone knows where to get this documentary, please, please contact me.
Dorothy Takes A Little Trip Back 2 OZ!!! 
2008-09-09 - Return to Oz is pretty good, but it can NEVER beat the original! Dorothy recieves a key from the scarecrow and tries to get back to Oz. No one believes her, so Auntie Em takes her to an asylum to help her. During a lightning storm, 'someone' helps Dorothy escape, and she gets transported back to Oz. With the help of totally new friends, Dorothy flies to the Nome King's mountain to figure out what happened to the Scarecrow. Soon, the Nome King challenges Dorothy and her new friends to a little game; Scarecrow has been turned into an ornament, and if they pick the right one, the Scarecrow will come back, but if they guess wrong, they will turn into ornaments as well. The problems I have with this movie is The Emerald City isn't the same, the yellow-brick road is silly. If you love the original classic, you might like RETURN TO OZ!!!
p.s. When I was about 5 or 6, my cousin, aunt, and I would act out a scene from this movie. It's when Dorothy takes the powder of life from Momby!
Childhood Memories
2008-09-04 - I watched this movie as a kids and taped it off television when it was playing on the network, now that I have a clean copy where my brother hasn't taped over chunks of the film, I watch it more then ever. I am suprised how many of my friends have actually heard and/or seen the film too!
Scared me to death as a child.
2008-09-04 - Return to Oz is a film I watched when I was a child and even this fantasy gave me the willies, but I couldn't help but enjoy this bizarre child-like adventure. So much darker than the Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, Return to Oz stars Fairuza Balk who in some ways is more connivincing as Dorothy Gale. The good and evil characters are pretty scary, so probably this film should not be viewed by children under the age of 8. There is this one scene that still sticks out for me, where all the mannequin heads come to life, creepy as can be!!! Gotta give this '80s classic a viewing, it will trip you out, enjoy!
the best way to travel down the Yellow Brick Road
2008-07-11 - As a fan of Baum's original works, this has always been my most favorite film version of his world.
And as a child of the 1980s, this film has always had nostalgic appeal. Yes, the film scared me as a child. But that very darkness, mixed with the light fairy tale images, the violence and the childish sense of logic and imagination, is also much closer to Baum's wonderful Oz.
The film comes from the Golden Age of Fantasy Films, the 1980s. The time when they knew how to make clever, visually-imaginative, and often dark fantasy films for children. Return to Oz is absolutely beautiful and perfect. The special effects and production design is better than most films today that are overly CGIed without the same heart and spirit as the Jim Henson company instilled in every film.
I know that the 1939 musical is considered an unparalleled classic, but it has a very plastic and staged feel. It lacks the spirit of Baum's works. Although Return to Oz is often criticsized (and, I believe it bombed at the box office at the time), it has a special place in the hearts of children who grew up with it, as well as fans of the original works.
First of all, the film much more accurately portrays Oz and is much more loyal to the books. Dorothy (perfectly portrayed) is the right age, for starters. Not only do many things more closely resemble the illustrations of the books (especially the characters and the Emerald City), but the world looks much more real and occupied than the 1938 version. The mood of the film is also much closer to Baum's works, mixing silly childish logic and imagination (building the Gump) with darkness and danger of a child in a strange world (the fear of turning into an ornament or to stone or having your head cut off). The film is just as magical and mystical as Baum's books.
Second, I love seeing Oz as "fallen". The Yellow Brick Road reclaimed by nature. The Emerald City crumbling and the people all turned to stone. The Gnome King's palace where people are turned into ornaments. The theme, ironically, of the story is trying to return home doesn't always meet your high expectations and desires. Fits for a film constantly compared to the 1938 musical. Even in a fairyworld, things change and fall away.
This DVD is in widescreen, which is the only way to ever see any movie. There are some cool special features, including a recent interview with the star, Balk. But, best of all, is the film itself, and being able to revisit a childhood favorite for all of us that grew up in the 80s.
