The Wizard of Oz
(1939)We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!
Judy Garland is Dorothy in this classic, Technicolour, family musical based on the book by L. Frank Baum. Critic Roger Ebert says of the film: "It has a wonderful surface of comedy and music, special effects and excitement, but we still watch it six decades later because its underlying story penetrates straight to the deepest insecurities of childhood, stirs them and then reassures them." Winner of two Oscars for the film's music, The Wizard of Oz was also Palme d'Or nominated at Cannes 1939.... More
Young Dorothy and her dog Toto, along with her house, are swept up in a tornado and blown to the Land of Oz. Landing on and killing Oz's Wicked Witch of the East (Margaret Hamilton), Dorothy becomes an instant hero in her new land. But the Wicked Witch of the West (also played by Hamilton) threatens revenge. Dorothy must follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where only the Wizard (Frank Morgan) himself can return her to Kansas. On the way, Dorothy picks up some pals - the heartless Tin Man (Jack Haley), the brainless Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr). Each hopes that the Wizard can offer what they lack.Hide
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Best Original Score & Song ('Over The Rainbow') at the 1940 Academy Awards.
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Directed by Victor Fleming ('Gone with the Wind', 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde')
Starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton
Written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf (based on the book by L. Frank Baum)
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 5 providers
Flicks Review
BY Liam Maguren Flicks Writer
*The following review is for the IMAX 3D version of The Wizard of Oz
Whether you see it as a timeless ode to the power of friendship and imagination or as a feature-length fever trip about a girl with a subconscious bloodlust for revenge, Victor Fleming’s 1939 fantasy tale is nevertheless a certified classic. Judy Garland still wails with total conviction as the lost and confused Dorothy; Ray Bolger still astounds with his animated presence as The Scarecrow; Jack Haley still gestures flawlessly as The Tin Man; and Bert Lahr is as dainty and precious as ever as The Cowardly Lion (though his ‘pride’ has grown considerably over the years).... More
From the destructive tornado that sweeps up Kansas in the background to the miniature of the wicked witch flying away in the distance, the special effects are precious relics in cinema. These faultless, creative, practical techniques are products of their time – ones you will never see in modern-day blockbusters – that will remained locked in their era. To witness this visual/audio history polished for the IMAX screen/stereo is like being in the driver’s seat of a fully restored 1934 Ford Victoria Coupe.
The 3D doesn’t add much to the experience, but more importantly, it doesn’t diminish it either. And while not everything in The Wizard of Oz holds up (I tore a cringe muscles listening to The Lollipop Guild), it’s still an impenetrable cinematic experience. This IMAX restoration simply strengthens its magic.Hide
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The Wizard of Oz
BY Brendan3 superstar
Sure its aged
Cant beat a classic the songs
The over the top acting and fairy-tail happy ending
Showing 2 of 2 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
99%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Each time it is shown, this extraordinary film (which was not even the first Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum's sublime story had been filmed before as a silent and a cartoon) embraces a new generation of children who succumb to its magic... Full Review
Its underlying story penetrates straight to the deepest insecurities of childhood, stirs them and then reassures them. Full Review
The songs and magic are still fresh, even if it isn't quite knowing enough, perhaps, for today's young audiences. Full Review
A delightful piece of wonder-working. Full Review
This phantasmagorical fantasy really does represent old-school MGM filmmaking at its best. Full Review
A work of almost staggering iconographic, mythological, creative and simple emotional meaning. Full Review
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