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Movies / Upcoming / The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz

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The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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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.

Runtime: 5 hrs 4 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

US Box Office: $0

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

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
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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

Each scene in The Wizard of Oz is spectacular in its visual creativity. Each song is inspired.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

It's a movie almost everyone has seen multiple times, and every viewing is a visit home as well as a wild adventure toward territories unknown.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
10/28/05
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

...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

It's been 25 years since the movie's last theatrical run, which means that just about eveyone is overdue for seeing this marvelous spectacle the way it was meant to be seen.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

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)

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

No review available.

comment Comment
06/26/03
Josh Gilchrist
Josh Gilchrist
Billings Outpost (Montana)

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 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

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

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

No review available.

comment Comment
04/24/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

It's not simply a magical, whirling experience, but a ground breaker for visual and technological creativity, combining Hollywood forces with Hollywood genius to spawn strands of unique and original elements never before attempted at the movies.

Full Review Source: Cinemaphile.org | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Keyes
David Keyes
Cinemaphile.org

It scared the hell out of me when I used to watch it between my fingers when I was a kid, and (though it might say too much about my own emotional development) I still get the heebie-jeebies from a lot of it.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Paul Tatara
Paul Tatara
CNN.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/25/03
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

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

Remarkable, colorful, heartwarming.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/01/00
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

Ranks among our earliest and most defining experiences of wonder and of fear, of fairy-tale joys and terrors, of the lure of the exotic and the comfort of home.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
05/08/02
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

...one of the most enduring musical fantasies of all time.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
10/27/05
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
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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...

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