Return to Oz (1985)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
  Good Effects and developed characters. A sequel to The Wizard of Oz was a good idea, but there was no excitement in this film, and I remember watching this on VHS as a child but it still is not entertaining as it was back then as Return to Oz is just plain creepy.

• Phil H

  
  This is a great sequel to the classic, the imagination on show is amazing and it all looks terrific. The charactes have a new look which really sets them apart (is this where Tim Burton got his 'Jack Skellington' idea?) every one is stunning to see and have really had some… More
  This is a great sequel to the classic, the imagination on show is amazing and it all looks terrific. The charactes have a new look which really sets them apart (is this where Tim Burton got his 'Jack Skellington' idea?) every one is stunning to see and have really had some major care and craftsmanship involved, I love how these old 80's flicks look so good and really show up modern films which rely on crappy cgi. All the effects are great even by today's standards if not better and the atmosphere of the movie is eerie and haunting. Its underrated and forgotten and I dont know why, I would love to see a third in this style, truely great kids film.

• Alexander D

  
  It was kind of weird to make a sequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ forty-six years after it was originally released. I saw RETURN TO OZ when I was a little kid, and I don't remember much, but I remember two things: 1, it gave me nightmares for a few weeks; and 2, it wasn't all that… More
  It was kind of weird to make a sequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ forty-six years after it was originally released. I saw RETURN TO OZ when I was a little kid, and I don't remember much, but I remember two things: 1, it gave me nightmares for a few weeks; and 2, it wasn't all that great.

• Jacob E

  
  Hideously HIDEOUSLY underrated. Seriously. This is actually quite an interesting film. It's completely unlike its predecessor, the original 1939 "Wizard of Oz." This film is not upbeat. It does not have songs. Simply put, this feels like American McGee's Alice,… More
  Hideously HIDEOUSLY underrated. Seriously. This is actually quite an interesting film. It's completely unlike its predecessor, the original 1939 "Wizard of Oz." This film is not upbeat. It does not have songs. Simply put, this feels like American McGee's Alice, absolutely insane, but bizarrely (and frighteningly) accurate to the book. This film garnered tons of hate at the time of release, but now people are beginning to appreciate its dark tone. If you have to watch a kids film for some reason or another, just pop this one in. It will surprise you.

• Dean M

  
  If you loved <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>, you'll like accompanying Dorothy (played by Fairuza Balk) on this second thrilling adventure based on L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books! Viewers will hear no songs nor see any Munchkins. It's very different, but… More
  If you loved <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>, you'll like accompanying Dorothy (played by Fairuza Balk) on this second thrilling adventure based on L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books! Viewers will hear no songs nor see any Munchkins. It's very different, but equally enjoyable, trip down the Yellow Brick Road, with young star Balk outstanding as the heroine. It gets pretty scary at times and isn't all fluff and wonder like the Oz of yore. This is nevertheless a magical film.

• Megan S

  
  This movie was just weird. The special effects were so 1985, lol. It was strange watching Fairuza Balk as a small child.

• AJ V

  
  The worst Wizard of Oz movie I've ever seen. This sequel to the Garland film has a realistic beginning, and then she returns to Oz which is completely different from when she left, which doesn't make sense. I hate this movie.

• Tim S

  
  A much darker take on the classic tales of Oz. I really enjoyed this as a kid, and, as an adult, I enjoy it even more.

• Anthony L

  
  A ?loose? sequel to the 1939 original and based on the 2nd and 3rd books by Baum, Return to Oz was a brave move but thoroughly worthwhile. It?s another childhood favourite of mine. The room of heads still freaks me out!

• Luke B

  
  Return to Oz is the not-quite-sequel to the 1939 classic. It is mostly a sequel to a remake of The Wizard of Oz that was never made...if you catch my drift. The tone of the film is so drastically different it feels like a dark and gothic reimagining. Everything is ever so creepy in… More
  Return to Oz is the not-quite-sequel to the 1939 classic. It is mostly a sequel to a remake of The Wizard of Oz that was never made...if you catch my drift. The tone of the film is so drastically different it feels like a dark and gothic reimagining. Everything is ever so creepy in this film. The real stars are the practical effects. From the wonderful puppets to the excellent stop-motion animation. It puts today's CGI output to shame and adds to the magical feel of Oz. This is the style a new Oz franchise should take, adapting all the books and reminding people that it didn't start with Ruby Slippers.

• Ross C

  
  Very scary, but amazing scene designs and an engrossing plot. This was one of the first movies I saw as a kid where I was immersed in all the hype leading up to what was perhaps the biggest movie event of the summer of '85.

• Jason S

  
  You might think that this would be a poor movie compared to the glory that is the original musical... but you would be wrong. This movie follows the source material closer than the musical ever did and gives you a haunting look into the world of OZ after Dorothy left in the first… More
  You might think that this would be a poor movie compared to the glory that is the original musical... but you would be wrong. This movie follows the source material closer than the musical ever did and gives you a haunting look into the world of OZ after Dorothy left in the first movie. I liked this better than the first.

• Daniel H

  
  This movie has balls, although that's probably a poor choice of words for what seems to be a childrens movie. Not so. Please, kids, stay away from this one. It's not specifically for adults, but it will inadvertently scare the crap out of kids without actually trying.… More
  This movie has balls, although that's probably a poor choice of words for what seems to be a childrens movie. Not so. Please, kids, stay away from this one. It's not specifically for adults, but it will inadvertently scare the crap out of kids without actually trying. Flying moose-headed couches, and some pretty creepy animation and characters all adds up to a well-done adaptation that captures the mood in Baum's original Oz books... a kind of threatening whimsy. So for adults, how does it stack up? Well, it doesn't pull punches, at least for a "childrens" movie. Like the family films of old, they definitley weren't family friendly by todays sterilized standards. Plus, the plot is reasonably gripping, even though the deux ex machina is obvious from the very start. Either way, if you ever take the time out to revisit this rather familiar setting, you'll be happily suprised to find it strange, new and if not entertaining, than at least worth the new perspective.

• Lafe F

  
  It wasn't magical going back to Oz this time; too much had changed. It was a dark and scary place. Dorothy wasn't herself either, and was a scared-eye little girl. Nothing is warm in this new Oz land; it's meant to terrify. I suspect this is closer to the books.… More
  It wasn't magical going back to Oz this time; too much had changed. It was a dark and scary place. Dorothy wasn't herself either, and was a scared-eye little girl. Nothing is warm in this new Oz land; it's meant to terrify. I suspect this is closer to the books. I've been re-playing 1939 classic too often and can't get into any other type of Oz. I did enjoy some of the characters like Jack Pumpkin and Tick-Tock -- but not scary Momby with her head-gallery or those freaky wheelie guards. The Gnome King's museum challenge was ingenius; I liked that part of the movie. Overall, this movie is cause for nightmares.

• Curtis L

  
  This movie is so weird. They tried to make it like the books, and it worked great. Awesome Jim Henson puppetry, cool story line, and fun overall. This movie scared every little kid I know.

• Byron B

  
  Ambitious combination of the second and third books in Baum's Oz series. I think Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Gump, and all the other creatures were all brought to life as they were meant to be! The story is much much darker, but that undercurrent is there in the books. The… More
  Ambitious combination of the second and third books in Baum's Oz series. I think Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Gump, and all the other creatures were all brought to life as they were meant to be! The story is much much darker, but that undercurrent is there in the books. The tone and style of the books is somewhere in between this movie and the classic musical version. Jim Henson's son Brian provides the voice for Jack Pumpkinhead. It is Henson's effects shop that is at work here leading to a surrealist Oz comparable to what one sees in The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. I wish someone else with this much respect for the material would make further live-action adaptations of the Oz series.

• Jason V

  
  The charm of The Wizard of Oz combined the childhood fantasy of running away from home with instantly memorable songs and characters, all of which were given depth and humanity. If the original allowed the audience to escape their problems in 1939 (World War II was about to break… More
  The charm of The Wizard of Oz combined the childhood fantasy of running away from home with instantly memorable songs and characters, all of which were given depth and humanity. If the original allowed the audience to escape their problems in 1939 (World War II was about to break out, the Great Depression continued to hang around and the like), then the 1985 sequel shows what happens when the "perfect world" gets taken down a peg. The problem here, though, is that the film is soulless, joyless and, frankly, looks cheap. Yes, the original Oz may look fake, but at least the actors playing the otherworldly creatures could emote and actually interact with Dorothy. Animatronics, claymation and the other techniques used in Return simply can't hold up. (There's also a very dark opening involving using electricity to erase Dorothy's memories...scary for kids.) A misbegotten film forgotten about, even if it adheres closer to the books than the 1939 version.

• Dannielle A

  
  Return to Oz is true gem... no pun intended. ;-) Disney did not do well at the box office and many critics were very harsh calling it "grim" and "creepy" and "lacking the luster of the original 1939 MGM version." But this movie was never meant to be… More
  Return to Oz is true gem... no pun intended. ;-) Disney did not do well at the box office and many critics were very harsh calling it "grim" and "creepy" and "lacking the luster of the original 1939 MGM version." But this movie was never meant to be anything like Judy Garland's cheery, musical, vibrant colored Oz. This Oz stays true to Frank Baum's original stories and anyone who comes in to the film expecting the magic and enchantment from the first movie is wasting their time and will be sadly disappointed. You must come to this movie with an open mind, accept it for it's artistic appeal and on its own terms. It is nothing like the first movie and it is best to separate them completely in your mind if you are going to enjoy it. Some children may get scared as there are some creepy parts like the wheelers, head-hunting Princess Mombi, and the Nome King. Even Jack Pumpkinhead (who is a good guy) scared my little sister when we were younger and watching it today, he still creeps her out as a sixteen-year-old! Dorothy has new, delightful sidekicks who are fun and loveable. The lavish special effects were incredible in 1985 and even today are still awe-inspiring. Dorothy's return to Oz is a bleak one as to her dismay, the yellow brick road is in disrepair, the Emerald City in shambles, and the previous inhabitants have been turned to stone including her friends the tin woodman and the cowardly lion. In the original book Ozma of Oz, Dorothy was in a different city across the deadly desert when the events that take place in this movie happened. The film has a gorgeous soundtrack, great costumes and visuals and excellent acting even though Fairuza Balk does lack the sparkle and spunk Judy Garland brought to the role. Nonetheless, Return to Oz is a wonderful adventure. There are many exciting parts where the characters are put into peril but they always get out of it. My favorite parts are when Dorothy makes the Gump out of the Powder of Life and the moose head (which is not in the book) and when she has to guess which of the objects in the Nome King's palace are her friends to restore them. See this movie, give it a chance, it is amazing!!!

• Sarah P

  
  Very odd (but not a good odd), not really relevant to anything. I don't understand what any of this really had to do with the Wizard of Oz.

• Marion R

  
  An interesting take, pretty dark

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