RETURN TO OZ (1985)
Reviewed By Jerry Saravia
"The Wizard of Oz" remains arguably the most beloved fantasy film of all time. No other film has inspired audiences as much as "Oz" and its cult status remains high. Who doesn't know Dorothy and her pals in that magic land over the rainbow? What is surprising is that the books by L. Frank Baum are scarier and darker than the film was. "Return to Oz" is an attempt to mix some of that darkness with Oz, and the result is a mixed bag at best. Though there are some fantastic images, the movie is inert and lacking a crucial ingredient - magic.
As the film opens, Dorothy (Fairuza Balk, in her astonishing debut performance) is still living with Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) and Uncle Henry (Matt Clark) in good old Kansas. Only this Kansas is not in sepia tones, it is more of a dour place to live in. What's worse is that Aunt and Uncle decide that Dorothy, who can't separate reality from her own dreams, should see the local town doctor. This means that Dorothy has to undergo electric shock-therapy (!) to rid of her dreams and make her realize that Oz does not exist. However, an electrical storm takes place one night which enables Dorothy to run away from the hospital. She conks her head and suddenly she is back in the magical land of Oz. But this Oz is not any better than Kansas. The magical city of Oz is in ruins with creatures running around on wheels, known as the Wheelers, taunting anyone that comes in their path. There is also a skeletal-like creature with a pumpkin on his head, a strange robot named Tik-Tok, and the return of old favorites like the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man. And there is a being known as the Nome King (voiced by Nicol Williamson) who is essentially made of rock.
The movie is dazzling in its special-effects and incredible production design, such as the Nome's rocky digs or a princess's palace where animated heads decorate her walls. Although I agree that the tone should be darker than the 1939 classic, something else is off. Fairy tales often have a dark edge to them, particularly Roald Dahl's work, but what is missing here is conviction, amazement and wonder. Oz is perceived as a place where no magic ever existed - what child would want to dream of a magic land that is always nightmarish? Well, "Alice in Wonderland" is akin to that style, a nightmare that one can't wake up from. But the movie lacks the wonder, the awe that is central to a child's innocence, especially someone like Dorothy. In the 1939 film, one never got the impression that Dorothy wasn't astounded at the sights she saw. Here, Dorothy acts like Oz is a run-down town like Kansas, nothing here to take away from the experience. I never got the impression Dorothy saw any difference between Oz and Kansas.
"Return to Oz" is a technical triumph and tremendously well-cast, but it lacks innocence and a sense of magic. Something like 1984's "The Never-Ending Story" possessed all those ingredients. That film was about a kid reading a fairy tale book and getting hooked by the adventures he was reading and actually living them. Here, there is nothing to get hooked by. You are more likely to get hoodwinked.
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