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 comments; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warner Home Video's DVD invites you to watch the movie a dozen more times on top of the many dozens of times you've already seen it.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment 2 Comments
11/03/05
Douglas Pratt
Douglas Pratt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Wizard of Oz is one of those rare classics that can endure for generations and be as popular to adults as it is to kids.

Full Review Source: Oscar Guy | comment 2 Comments
01/01/00
Wesley Lovell
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy

It never was a great film, but it's now a part of our culture.

comment 1 Comment
06/16/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

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

Its underlying story penetrates straight to the deepest insecurities of childhood, stirs them and then reassures them.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is a completely charming and wholly delightful film in a direction rarely attempted by Hollywood.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Boxoffice Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The greatest flight of fancy ever filmed.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A dazzling fantasy musical so beautifully directed and acted that it deserves its classic status.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
TV Guide's Movie Guide
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

No need to say that this film is a classic.

comment Comment
07/23/03
Alex Sandell
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

An enduring masterpiece -- one of the best films ever made.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/02/02
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Seeing The Wizard of Oz in a movie theater, the way God and Louis B. Mayer intended you to see it, is like being at Cape Canaveral for a space shuttle launch instead of watching it on television.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
rec.arts.movies.reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
12/26/02
Brandon Judell
Brandon Judell
PopcornQ
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments; 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
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
36% 36% Angels & Demons
95% 95% Star Trek
25% 25% Four Christmases

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
78% 78% The Hangover
49% 49% Taking Woodstock
26% 26% The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
47% 47% The Girl From Monaco

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
  
  • Mila Kunis Talks Aronofsky's Black Swan Source: Collider.com
10
  • Visiting the Set of The Sorcerer's Apprentice Source: ComingSoon.net
4
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
84
  • James Cameron Talks Avatar Sequels Source: Collider.com
8
  • Natalie Portman Will Battle Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Source: Variety
36
  • Marvel Begins Iron Man 2 Viral Campaign Source: Superhero Hype
12
  • Bryce Dallas Howard Talks Spider-Man 4, Terminator, and Twilight Source: ComingSoon.net
45
  • David Lynch Says He Turned Down Return of the Jedi Source: CinemaBlend.com
36
  • Thomas Dolby Starts a Star Wars Rumor Source: Ain't It Cool News
33
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
63
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Avatar Live Up To The Hype?
226
  • Total Recall: Keith David's Best Movies
81
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Girlpower Rules Again with Princess at #1
53
  • The Gimmicks That Changed Cinema: Part 1
36
  • Help Us Choose the Community Golden Tomato Award
32
  • The Effects of Where the Wild Things Are
29
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
28
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Critics Consensus: Princess, Invictus Are Certified Fresh
21
  • Awards Tour 2009: Inglourious Basterds Lead Critics Choice Noms
19
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • 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
23
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

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.