RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
100 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:70

Fresh:70

Rotten:0

Average Rating:9.1/10

Consensus: An absolute masterpiece whose groundbreaking visuals and deft storytelling are still every bit as resonant. A must-see film for young and old.

Rated: U

Runtime: 5 hrs 4 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release:15-12-2006

Synopsis: Judy Garland stars as Dorothy in a musical based on the classic children's book by L. Frank Baum. When Dorothy's neighbor, Miss Gulch, threatens to take away Dorothy's precious dog, Toto, Dorothy... Judy Garland stars as Dorothy in a musical based on the classic children's book by L. Frank Baum. When Dorothy's neighbor, Miss Gulch, threatens to take away Dorothy's precious dog, Toto, Dorothy runs away from home. Attempting to return, she and her house are caught in a twister and blown to the garish, color-saturated Land of Oz. The house lands atop Oz's Wicked Witch of the East, killing her and making Dorothy an instant celebrity. The Wicked Witch of the West, the sister of the deceased witch, soon arrives and threatens revenge. Dorothy must escape from Oz by following the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where the great Wizard of Oz can help her return to Kansas. Along the way, Dorothy picks up some new friends--the heartless Tin Man, the brainless Scarecrow, and the courage-less Cowardly Lion, each of whom hopes that the Wizard can offer him what he lacks. The long journey to see the Wizard is filled with dangers and traps planted by the Wicked Witch of the West--as well as lots of phenomenal musical numbers. Filled with extravagant sets and costumes and 40 minutes of rambunctious song and dance routines, Dorothy's adventures in Oz are pure delight. The film deservedly holds a precious place in the hearts of millions. [More]

Starring: Judy Garland, Jack Haley, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr

Starring: Judy Garland, Jack Haley, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Frank Morgan, Clara Blandick, Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe, Mickey Carroll

Director: Victor Fleming, King Vidor

Director: Victor Fleming, King Vidor
Screenwriter: Noel Langley, Edgar Allan Woolf
Producer: Mervyn LeRoy
Composer: George Bassman, Robert W. Stringer, Herbert Stothart, George E. Stoll
Screenwriter: Florence Ryerson
Producer: Arthur Freed
Composer: Harold Arlen

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Wizard of Oz

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The songs and magic are still fresh, even if it isn't quite knowing enough, perhaps, for today's young audiences.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
05/12/08
Alan Morrison
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The greatest children's movie of all time. Probably.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/12/08
Richard Luck
Richard Luck
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Enjoy it as both a magical fairytale and a delirious camp classic.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
02/05/07
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a movie that speaks of Hollywood's unacknowledged fascination with the exotic, the mad, the unreal.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
12/30/06
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Oz simply lays bare primal emotions, exposes our childhood anxieties about abandonment and powerlessness and brings to light the tension between the repressive comforts of home and the liberating terrors of the unknown marking all our adult lives.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Trevor Johnston
Trevor Johnston
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Each time it is shown, this extraordinary film ... embraces a new generation of children who succumb to its magic.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/17/01
George Perry
George Perry
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A head trip of a family film.

Full Review Source: LarsenOnFilm | comment Comment
11/18/09
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm

The moment Judy Garland starts singing in that barnyard, we're all six years old again, with nothing left to do but join her.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
09/28/09
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Sci-Fi Movie Page

It's more than a movie; it's an American rite of passage. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment 1 Comment
09/28/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

The movie--well, you know the movie. You know how great Judy Garland is as Dorothy, how memorable the rest of the cast is, how terrific Victor Fleming's direction is, and that the film's themes of the importance of home have helped it to resonate througho

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
09/27/09
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

If through some incredible chance you haven't [seen it], all I can say is: do so immediately. Make this the very next movie you watch. Literally.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
08/31/09
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

More than a movie classic, it's an essential part of the popular culture...

Full Review Source: Seanax.com | comment Comment
10/26/08
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com

One of only a handful of films that nearly everyone is familiar with.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
06/10/08
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

There's an audience for Oz wherever there's a projection machine and a screen.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
05/12/08
John C. Flinn Sr.
John C. Flinn Sr.
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lavish in sets, adult in humor, it is a Broadway spectacle translated into make-believe.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
05/12/08
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I don't find the film light or joyful in the least -- an air of primal menace hangs about it, which may be why I love it.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
06/26/07
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader

I'll see you on the dark side of the moon...and your little dog, too!

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
01/19/07
Phil Hall
Phil Hall
Film Threat

...a thoroughly American fairy tale that wholly endorses the ethic of consumerism.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
08/25/06
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

One of the greatest films made ... in any genre.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment 4 Comments
12/02/05
Forrest Hartman
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal

The key to The Wizard of Oz is its pure, simple theme: Dorothy's desire to get back home, to safety, to comfort, to family and to love.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
11/03/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Wizard of Oz

September 23, 2009: The World of The Wizard of Oz Opens in new window
With a new restoration appearing on DVD and Blu-ray next week, along with a one-day theatrical re-release, "The Wizard of Oz" is turning 70 in style. More...

August 24, 2009: Dakota Fanning Heading to Oz? Opens in new window
According to multiple reports, Dakota Fanning is set to star as Dorothy's granddaughter in a sequel (of sorts) to "The Wizard of Oz." Basil Iwanyk and Todd McFarlane are listed... More...

August 20, 2009: The Wizard of Oz Returns to Theaters in September Opens in new window
Mark September 23 on your calendars, "Wizard of Oz" fans -- that's when, for one night only, Warner Bros. will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the classic by returning it to... More...

May 14, 2008: Total Recall: Our Favorite Talking Animals
Now that the second film in Disney/Walden's big-budget reimagining of the Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, is heading to theaters, we here at RT thought... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
14% 14% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
0
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
16
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
0
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
129
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
42
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
  • Tron Legacy Duo Heading into The Black Hole Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • First Iron Man 2 Poster Released Source: Yahoo! Movies
80
  • Ryan Reynolds Talks Green Lantern Source: MTV
16
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
99
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
96
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
91
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
36
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
30
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
28
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
22
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
18
  • Duncan Jones Reteams With Kevin Spacey
5
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Wizard of Oz at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Wizard of Oz at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.