Return to Oz

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David W Much closer in its dark tone to the source material but it was never going to eclipse the classic Wizard of Oz. Still, it gave it a damn good go. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/09/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 50 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/26/25 Full Review Audience Member the story picks up where the original 1939 classic left off where we see Dorothy trying to convince the adults that she actually went to the land of Oz, sadly no one believes her and they place her in a psychiatric ward luckily Dorothy escapes and transported through a totally different way back to the magical kingdom things have defintely changed since she's been gone; the yellow-brick road has been destroyed, the citizens of the Emerald City have been turned to stone, and the ScareCrow is missing this is most certainly, a darker, more serious and more forboding Oz movie I think really younger viewers will find it too scary considering it involves demented henchmen, severed heads, and hellish-like environments still, the filmmakers make an effort when it comes to the sets, the costumes, the special effects, and the inventiveness exploring more of the Oz lore I enjoyed the new characters such as Tick Tock and Pumpkinhead Jack, the amazing animatronics and puppetry there's even some good emotional ressonace that struck a chord with me the original movie will always remain a timeless film but this 2nd one actually moves the story forward successfully and Bulk plays an adorable, vulnerable, caring Dorothy as we've come to know just like Judy Garland I’m very happy this gained a cult following even 40 years later! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/22/25 Full Review Eden A This was my favourite movie as a child, so many dark underlying themes, amazing performances and enchanting imagery a mix of enchanting and decrepit. Nothing like the original 1930s film and in a great way, this movie is haunting in a way that you remember, I know many children were terrified by it but to me it was the perfect blend of mild, tantalising visual and psychological fantasy-horror, and I am not a fan of horror as an adult. The adult actors all give very grounded and very realistic performances, more suited to an m rated thriller which only enhances the realness of the world. The naivety and innocence of Dorothy keeps the balance and brings us back to a more wholesome place. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/21/25 Full Review P F The comparisons to the 1939 original were always going to be there. They knew that before they began production. Perhaps the comparison is unfair but when The Wizard of Oz is such an enduring classic comparing both was inevitable. Walter Murch’s sequel is therefore a victim of its previous success. What should we expect to be optimistic is dark, what should be a musical is replaced with a bittersweet score full of melancholy. It raises the question was the director at fault for making a sequel he knew would be compared to a classic or was the audience at fault here for making the comparisons rather than letting the film stand on its own? The film’s strengths and there are many end up being its failures because it’s so different to what came before. Under Murch’s direction, the film tries at times to embrace what made people like the original with specific call-backs to characters or events yet it contributes to a tonally off movie. It’s an infuriating film to review as I can defend the design decisions made with the script yet can completely understand the obvious criticisms of this sequel. After forty years and the degenerating quality of cinema, I think it’s finally time to embrace Return to Oz. Expectations were too high; our bar for quality raised too high. Creativity should be praised and the fond memories of it people have grown up with are a testament to how special it managed to be: with modern movies being nothing more than ‘content’ for social media-addicted younger generations Walter Murch’s sequel shows a filmmaking competence regrettably not seen today. Let’s just hope they don’t keep waiting 46 years between adapting the books otherwise, I’ll wear down like Tik-Tok. Return to Oz isn’t the 1939 movie and that’s fine. The film still does a commendable job of teaching us through Dorothy how important imagination is. I guess both films are more similar than we thought... Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/05/25 Full Review Audience Member A real creepypasta like Oz film. The fact that this dark, twisted take on the world of Oz was made by Disney is almost as bizarre as the film itself! This being the most disturbing film in the loose Oz franchise is an impressive feat, considering on of the later Oz films was directed by iconic horror director, Sam Rami. Its utilization of a wide variety of practical effects like puppetry, stop-motion and using contortionists adds to the film’s timeliness as well as to its creepiness. While it appears to run on dream logic at times, it also includes a high amount of nightmarish moments for a children’s movie. A flop turned cult classic, this film is an interesting surprise for viewers diving into the trenches of Oz. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/29/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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