Comments on: Return To Oz (1985)

By: Deepanjana

Deepanjana — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:54:20 +0000

Hi… I was looking for a view on Dorothy’s condition in Return to Oz which is how I chanced upon your blog.
I am an Indian and born when this movie was released, considering how obscure this movie is I dont know how we had a video of this at my home in India. Anyway, I was in love with the film as a kid and I dont think it scared me at all apart from the wheelers, but it never really left a nightmarish effect on me!
I watched it again about 10 yrs later and I found it just as fascinating as when I was a kid. Only this time I found a darker and melancholic feel to it.
Saying which I think this movie is as much for adults as for kids, because sometimes adults need their doze of imagination too. I think you wrote a great piece on the movie and I really hope more people read it. especially the Return to Oz cynics!

By: Joe Valdez

Joe Valdez — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:01:31 +0000

AR: I'm baffled by those who fault Walter Murch as a first-time director here. If anyone knows how a movie should look and sound, it's him, and the overall design is exquisite. Disney made a number of dark, live action films, 1978-85 before the days of Eisner, and this is my favorite. Thanks for commenting! Daniel: The only thing Gene Siskel liked about Return To Oz was the claymation. Had Disney provided some context in preparing people for what the movie was, it would have fared much better. I think the ideal audience is anyone who enjoys The Nightmare Before Christmas and is looking for something that pushes the children's film into even darker territory. Patricia: Well said. Your comment touches on all the reasons I love this film. I think audiences can accept more than one version or take on a story. Probably not right away, especially if we're talking about an institution like The Wizard of Oz, but Return To Oz is one of the great cult classics of the 1980s. Monte: Thanks for commenting! I felt Maguire spent way too much time on political mechanization. It was a serious case of The Phantom Menace all over again. Some people love that stuff, but I look for a well told tale and characters and felt Wicked was a bit wooden. I didn't find the book magical or mysterious for something set in Oz. The relationship between the Witch and Glinda had potential and I understand why a lot of women responded to the novel, but I felt it missed the mark.

By: Monte

Monte — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:52:52 +0000

Return to OZ is lovely to look at, but I found the story clumsy and most of the acting unconvincing.

Joe, what do you think of Gregory Maguire’s WICKED?

By: Pat Evans

Pat Evans — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:21:50 +0000

However much one loves the original Oz film, there is no reason whatsoever to dismiss this very dark Oz variation. I’ve watched it a number of times and it more than holds up equally well, with a sparkling turn from young Balk (her adult roles have been something of a disappointment) and a wonderful sense of a different fantasy world. The film will never achieve the same classic status, especially as it is even more frightening than the original for wee kiddies, but it does offer a great deal for the older viewer (including adults who relish the darker side of things).

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:09:05 +0000

Great one, Joe! I remember you mentioning that you liked it when I featured it as an “underrated movie” this summer. For all the same reasons you say, especially about Murch being ahead of his time, I do my best to make people aware of this.

I wonder, though, if people would “get it” if they were to see it for the first time now. Many people aren’t used to claymation, for example, and could get turned off my the effects (which I think are outstanding). Anyway, glad to see this get more positive attention!

By: AR

AR — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:09:24 +0000

I liked this movie as a kid, even though it’s in the class of films that scared me a little. I’m not sure when I watched it again many years ago as an adult it really quite held up. I do still appreciate the fact that it’s a bit dark, as well as the production design.