Despite the presence of Billina the talking hen, the emphasis on insecurity and peril harks back to the treat-'em-rough days of children's fiction, and the disturbing/comforting ratio tilts conclusively towards the former.
Return to Oz (1985)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:20
Fresh:11
Rotten:9
Average Rating:5.7/10
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: A dark return visit to L. Frank Baum's astonishing world of Oz. After clicking her red shoes together and finally returning to Kansas, Dorothy finds that, in fact, there is someplace better than... A dark return visit to L. Frank Baum's astonishing world of Oz. After clicking her red shoes together and finally returning to Kansas, Dorothy finds that, in fact, there is someplace better than home -- especially when her family concludes that any girl who keeps insisting that she's visited a magical kingdom isn't right in the head. So young Dorothy journeys back into the magical realm of Oz, only to find a crumbling yellowbrick road and the Emerald City in an advanced state of decay. [More]
Starring: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie
Starring: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, Matt Clark
Director: Walter Murch
Director: Walter Murch
Producer: Paul Maslansky
Composer: David Shire
Reviews for Return to Oz
Best to see them as individual films with nothing in common apart from source material, one a classic, the other a strong enough picaresque amongst some decent fabulation.
There are some fine, Oscar-nominated special effects, but the excitement just isn't there.
Director Walter Murch tries to infuse the story with the inventiveness and adventure of the Star Wars saga, but the results are disappointing.
The work of ingenious technicians who seem either not to know what gave the original film its magic, or not to care.
Any movie in which a Midwestern prairie actually looks more attractive and more interesting than the enchanted land over the rainbow is in big trouble.
Return to Oz is hardly as kid-friendly as The Wizard of Oz, but older children with a taste for the fantastic will find it interesting. Adult Oz fans will find it entertaining as well.
moody non-musical sequel to 'The Wizard of Oz' bombed at the box office and was faulted by most critics as being too weird and scary for kids.
An underrated little romp, surprisingly faithful to L. Frank Baum's atmosphere... though obviously it's all overshadowed by that other Oz flick.
I can see why the Judy Garland fans might not appreciate this weird little adaptation, but it's actually pretty good!
Latest News for Return to Oz
December 12, 2007:
Walter Murch on Youth Without Youth: The RT Interview (With Exclusive Photos and Clips!)
This week, Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth hits theaters in limited release. The tale of a writer who becomes young again after being struck by lightning is a... More...
August 22, 2007:
Todd McFarlane, New Wizard of Oz
According to Variety, Todd McFarlane (creator of Spawn) will be working with screenwriter Josh Olson (A History of Violence) to produce what's being called "a revisionist take"... More...
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