Return to Oz (1985)

Return to Oz (1985) follows Dorothy Gale after she has returned to Kansas: she can't stop thinking about the Land of Oz, and when Aunt Em, fearing for her sanity, takes her to a doctor Dorothy is subjected to an electrotherapy treatment. She escapes and is mysteriously drawn back to Oz, where her little chicken Billina can now talk and the familiar Emerald City has been devastated. The vain witch Mombi and the tyrannical Nome King have used Dorothy’s ruby slippers to lay waste to the city and turn her old friends to stone, and the Scarecrow must be rescued. On her quest Dorothy is joined by a strange, inventive crew — the clockwork warrior Tik-Tok, the talking chicken Billina, the whimsical Jack Pumpkinhead and the odd Gump — and together they face eerie landscapes, bizarre creatures, and the Nome King’s cruel tricks to try to restore Oz and free its people. What you’ll experience watching: a darker, more unsettling take on Baum’s world than the classic MGM musical — a blend of childlike fantasy and eerie, sometimes nightmarish imagery. The film mixes heart, suspense and quirky humor, with inventive practical effects and unusual characters. It’s an adventurous, emotionally charged story that can be enchanting and at times creepy, making it best suited for viewers who appreciate imaginative, slightly spooky family fantasy.

Actors: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh

Director: Walter Murch

Runtime: 113 min

Genres: Adventure, Family, Fantasy

6.5 /10 42 /100 6.7 /10 5.8 /10