Plot: What’s it about?
Hmmm…I kinda remember the story, but only slightly..HELLO! If you don’t the magical story of Dorothy and her little dog too, you should be not be allowed to own a DVD player. I know it’s not an elitist format by any means, but you should really love movies to pay these prices. Anyway, if you have ever seen a movie, you should know this one. Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her little dog Toto are swept away from Kansas and transported to a magical realm called Oz. What’s even cooler? Oz is full color, and old Kansas was just sepia tones. I should ask Matt if Kansas is in color by now. Once there, she kills a witch, follows the yellow brick road, yadda yadda yadda. I mean no disrespect by the “yadda’s,” but why waste time on the story, you jokers already know it, right?
This movie looks and feels like a live action Disney animated feature to me. It’s like this, the basic story is tried and true, but the whole shootin’ match turns out weird as hell. Just like early Disney movies (Pinocchio, Fantasia), Wizard of Oz is considered a family movie (in fact AFI called Wizard of Oz THE best family film of all time), yet I get the heebie jeebies because it’s so damn weird. It’s unnerving at times! A house crushes a witch, and Dorothy ain’t too upset about it. A living tree throws apples at Dorothy and she ain’t upset. A damn scarecrow comes to life, and she ain’t upset about it. I know it’s a family movie and all, but man, that kind of business is scary! The Scarecrow still creeps me out, when he is hanging on that post…::shiver::. But, most people just enjoy it, and don’t worry about freaky parts, like when flying monkeys attack them. FLYING MONKEYS! And what’s worse, they are dressed like bell hops! I have watched this with young kids, and they don’t seem upset by it though, so maybe it’s just me.
At the core of this film is Judy Garland, who plays our innocent lead, and discovers Oz and it’s splendors along with us. She sparkles here, and is defined by her role, when everyone thinks of Garland, this is the role they conjure up. Dorothy is one of film’s most easily recognized faces, and this role is one of legend, a true classic. Garland is much older than the role she is playing, but it does not show too bad. I heard a rumor, probably true, that wardrobe had to tape down Garland’s breasts, to keep an “undeveloped” look for the character. And I mean really, that was a good idea, because that scarecrow was wily enough as it was, let alone if his straw eyes saw cleavage. Garland is also called upon to sing her lungs out in this flick, as well as act.
Now, as you may know from reading my other reviews, I’m not a big fan of musical numbers in films. That being said, I am a huge fan of musicals (Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors), so Wizard of Oz is right down my alley. There are songs out the wazoo, most of them very good, but none bad. That’s suprising, because usually, there’s at least one clunker in movies somewhere. In fact, most of the numbers in Wizard are classics, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” is the type of song they play over one of those montages, where they show Hollywood’s greatest moments on film. Needless to say, great stuff. The song that plays during the tornado is also very cool, and is used a million times in later films, as well as that “We’re Off To See The Wizard” song, if that is the title, I really don’t know. So don’t think just because it’s a musical that you’ll never watch it. Come on…it’s fun to sign along. And you can always synch up Dark Side Of The Moon and watch the fun!
Now, Garland is great, but one role makes a film not (I failed at a Yoda impersonation). You gotta have a nice supporting cast as well, and this picture has a great one. Frank Morgan plays two roles in the film, one as a fortune teller/snake oil salesman, and another as the great and powerful Oz himself. Morgan is great, and really brings the whole “man behind the curtain” thing to life. While the role does not call for much depth, Morgan adds a lot to the part, playing a true showman, both in Oz and home in Kansas. Taking on the creepy, at least in my mind, part of Scarecrow is Ray Bolger, who also plays a hired hand, Hunk, in Kansas. We don’t hear much from him in Kansas, but when in Oz, look out. He may be filled with straw, but man, this dude can shake a leg, cut a rug, you know…DANCE! He is excellent, and really plays the role like a fragile straw filled man, just like he should. Playing a farm hand, Zeke, and our Cowardly Lion is Bert Lahr. The Lion rules, and has a great voice, perfect for the role. While not as varied as Scarecrow, Lion’s role is pivotal, and Lahr is great. Our final farm hand, Hickory, is played by Jack Haley, who also plays my favorite of the three companions, Tin Man. Tin Man is awesome, and plus, he carries and ax! How can you go wrong here? Fleshing out the cast are Billie Burke (Glenda The Good Witch), Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West), and Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick (Uncle Henry and Auntie Em).
Ok, ok, I know some people analyze this movie all to hell, but I’m not gonna do that. Some movies just work, and that’s all you can say. Yeah, there are some elements in the film that could be studied and applied to real life, such as the “Free Silver” movement during the gold rush days (look it up), but really, the movie is just a movie. So enjoy it, for God’s sake! The movie is fun, the songs are good, and the acting is great! What more do you people want? Buy this disc! Now! Go on! I’m serious!
Video: How does it look?
Oz has never looked better, even the dull sepia tones in Kansas are well defined and crisp. The colors…holy shnikes…the color is beautiful on this disc. I mean, I always knew the Yellow Brick Road was yellow…but not that yellow! Some problems arise, but they are due to the source material, not this transfer, which is better than any previous release by far.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is used, and it gets the job done. Not perfect by any means, but very good. Dialogue is clear, and effects and music never overshadow it. The music comes through nicely, again a good mix, but not perfect.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Those of you Oz fans out there who wanted extras galore can stop clicking your heels together, because this disc delivers. You get almost everything you could want, except a flying monkey of your very own. First off is a fantastic nearly hour long documentary, hosted by Angela Lansbury. Hey, I hated Murder, She Wrote too, but at least this is about something good. It is a great feature, and gives much insight into the film. Yes! A small collection of outtakes and deleted scenes are included, which are very cool. I would not watch them every day, but it is very nice to be able to see them all here. A large amount of audio supplements are present as well, with many temp tracks, underscoring, and alternate cues, but it is a tad hard to navigate through it sometimes. An “Oz Afterlife” section deals with the impact of Oz on the future, and has some very cool stuff in there. Costume and make up tests, storyboards, sketches, and many more extras are included in the Behind The Scenes portion. Five different theatrical trailers are also here, as well as detailed cast/crew bios, plus a wealth of text supplement. I’m missing a ton of stuff here, but be warned, if you love Oz, you will spend days with this disc.
