by Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman
Editor’s Note: There’s been a lot of buzz about the new Oz Movie, but our Maytal actually saw the movie and liked it. We recommend reading a few reviews and then decide if you should see it or not. We say — see it.
L. Frank Baum’s famous book, The Wizard of Oz has influenced so many artists. Numerous theatrical productions, movies, songs, and other forms of art were inspired by it. The new movie, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is an animated sequel to the book, loosely based on the book Dorothy of Oz, and I recently attended a screening with my 7-year-old daughter which we both enjoyed.
Here are five reasons to go see it:
1. The story is unique. My daughter has read the original book and loves it and for her, it was interesting to see a continuation of the story with the beloved characters from the original version and new characters to boot. She especially loved the China Princess, played by Megan Hilty.
2. The 3-D animation is very impressive. Every time I see a 3D movie the technology keeps getting better and better and this movie is no exception. The animation is top-notch and in my opinion, that alone makes it worth watching. The opening credits were especially unique and entertaining.
3. The talent is unreal: Lea Michele as Dorothy, Dan Aykroyd as the Scarecrow, Kelsey Grammer as the Tin Man, James Belushi as the Lion, Martin Short as the Jester, Bernadette Peters as Glinda, Patrick Stewart as Tugg and Megan Hilty as China Princess.
4. The incredibly talented Bryan Adams led the songwriting team!
5. In the story, Dorothy goes back to Oz to help old friends from the evil Jester (who’s the brother of the Wicked Witch of the West) and meets new friends along the way. There are some scary parts but nothing my daughter couldn’t handle. Everything about the plot is written with kids in mind and that is probably the biggest reason my daughter loved it so much.
Verdict: Go see it if you have kids who can handle some scary parts but love creativity and 3D movies.
Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is rated PG and is now playing in theaters.
I was not compensated for this post. I attended a screening of the film.
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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for thirteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 7, 5 and 1) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.
tooky granddaughter and she loved it
I loved it too
very we’ll done
My husband and I have seen the movie both alone and with our grandchildren. I remember the first time I saw the wizard of oz and wanted to make memories with my grandchildren. The music continued to play in my spirit and now I have the music. Look forward to getting the DVD!
Our grandaughters ages 3 and almost 5 and grandsons ages 2 and 4 loved this movie and would love to go see it again…much less Gramma and Papa! And the music is amazing. Great family fun.
When I was a five and six, my mom read me every one of the earlier sequels to the Wizard of Oz, over twenty of them. These new sequels by L Frank Baum’s grandson are very reminiscent of those my mom read me. I loved Legends of Oz in 2D so much that I went back an d saw it a second time in 3D. Even at 71, I was mesmerized by the movie. The colors, the exciting story, the endearing characters, the enchanting music, and the important message of stepping up to life’s challenges are the ingredients that make this movie so special. I will buy the DVD as soon as it comes out and have it ready to be seen and redeem whenever my three granddaughters visit. I hope there will be additional sequels. Kevin Sweeney, grandfather of three beautiful young girls
My husband & I went to a screening of this movie, we don’t have grandchildren, but we are young at heart and love animated movies! This movie was beautiful, the story of Dorothy going back to Oz to help her friends, and what happens along the way! The animation, color, quality & 3D are both superb and beautiful! The orchestra was beautiful and gave me chills as they played! I loved all of the new characters introduced! If you have children, grandchildren or have friends w/children, tell them about this beautiful movie. I think no matter what age you are, you will enjoy it, and make you feel happy and young again! I’d much rather see this movie many times over, than some of the garbage they put out there, and call them movies!
I have seen this movie. I am NOT a compensated critic. This movie is full of family-oriented values. That is impressive. The movie is geared toward an extremely young crowd — no doubt. That kinda goes without saying. The last cartoon feature I remember that was geared toward an older crowd was Fritz the Cat. Remember that? Well, back to the point: The Dorothy of Oz movie is wholesome. It teaches values that have been lacking in our society lately. Listen to this Mamamaven or whatever her name is. YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR KIDS TO SEE THIS MOVIE. It’s as simple as that. It is one of those things you do for your kids. They need to see this movie. Promotes a good feeling amongst the audience. It is a true feel-good movie. Sure, there’s some scarey parts. Remember the flying monkey scene in the original ??? Spoiler alert: They’re back !!!
My 6 year old girl and 3 year old boy loved this movie…saw it 3 times and now want to see it in 3D. Oh, and I gotta admit, Dad liked it too 🙂
Seems odd to me that auduences, by a huge majority, LOVE this movie, yet many critics have been hyper critical of the things most audiences rave about. Seems like the critics have a hidden agenda.
Thanks for your comment Gene. While I did not see the movie, my writer Maytal liked it. As I’ve known her for 7 years, I’d take her opinion over a critics anyday.
MY FAMILY AND I LOVED THE MOVIE, MY 7 YR OLD SON AND MY DAUGHTER WHO IS 12, IT WAS CAPTIVATING, THE CHARACTERS WERE BEAUTIFULLY CREATED AND WE LOVED THE STORY…. MAYBE IT ISN’T FOR EVERYONE, BUT SURE IS NICE TO SEE A BEAUTIFULLY ANIMATED MOVIE WITH A STORY THAT BRINGS HEART AND JOY, TRIUMPH AND LAUGHTER WITH A TWIST OF A VILLAIN, CHARACTERS YOU CAN RELATE TO AND HAVE FUN WITH LEAVING YOU WANTING TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY. THE MUSIC BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES EACH TIME.
I absolutely loved this movie from the brilliant and creative get-go!! I truly do not understand how this movie could get anything but fab reviews! My 8 yr old son thoroughly enjoyed it also! It kept us on the edge of our seats, and the animation and 3D effects were outstanding. Having watched the Wizard numerous times as a child-I was very happy to see a “modern version” with a new storyline and characters. Visually delicious and I had a smile on my face the entire time!
my kids loved this movie and frankly i was surprised with the extreme quality of the animation–everyone enjoyed it! thank you
Took my daughters family. Kids are 8,6,4. They loved it. The 4 year old yelled out in excitement a few time. When the China doll broke up he told marshmallow man it is nothing to cry about she is just glass. Loved the movie 3 D was great
Thanks for your thoughtful review. I took my 40-something daughter and my grandson to see it and we all really enjoyed it ! It is good to read a positive review as so many have been unkind to this creative movie!
Thanks Richard, we realize that people have had a lot of different reactions to this movie (mostly negative), but our writer enjoyed it and we try to post authentic reviews and experiences.
LOVED,LOVED THE MOVIE!!!!!!! My grandchildren did,too!!!