The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

  • 99% of critics liked it
    (82 reviews)

  • 82% of users liked it
    (784,186 ratings)

L. Frank Baum's classic tale comes to magisterial Technicolor life! The Wizard of Oz stars legendary Judy Garland as Dorothy, an innocent farm girl whisked out of her mundane earthbound existence into a land of pure imagination. Dorothy's journey in Oz will take her through emerald forests,… More

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In Theaters
Aug 25, 1939 Limited
Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • , TIME Magazine

    The whimsical gaiety, the lighthearted song & dance, the lavish Hollywood sets and costumes are as fresh and beguiling today as they were ten years ago when the picture was first released.

  • Todd McCarthy, Variety

    A work of almost staggering iconographic, mythological, creative and simple emotional meaning, at least for American audiences, this is one vintage film that fully lives up to its classic status.

  • Otis Ferguson, The New Republic

    The story of course has some lovely and wild ideas, but the picture doesn't know what to do with them, except to be painfully literal and elaborate about everything.

  • Edwin Schallert, Los Angeles Times

    There is something new in the land of cinema at long last.

  • James Berardinelli, ReelViews

    One of only a handful of films that nearly everyone is familiar with.

Read all 22 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • Carlos M


    Conceived by MGM as an answer to Walt Disney's Snow White, this sweet, colorful fable full of music and adventure will always be a pleasure to children everywhere for its relatable characters and universal message - but it may also prove a bit too slow for adults nowadays.

  • KJ P


    "The Wizard of Oz" will be a class in everyones eyes forever, bringing the light of day into the world of film and putting a smile on anyones face. As Dorothy dreams a dream that is unlike anything on earth, she creates a story that is one of the most brilliant telling in… More

  • Bathsheba M


    Oz, the great and powerful! Beyond the sheer enjoyment factor, there are a lot of messages here for youngins and geezers alike: if you want a quality (intelligence, oourage, heart for example) act as if you already have it and soon you will own it; never trust the "great and… More

  • Mark H


    The story is as familiar as your own name. A young girl from Kansas, bored with her life, yearns for a more exciting one "over the rainbow." A horrific tornado, which continues to amaze, hits her cherished farm and whisks her, house and all, to the wonderful world of Oz… More

  • Jens S


    When you're talking about the classics of cinema you can't skip mentioning this masterpiece that may have done more for fantastic movies than any other release of that era. The musical version of Dorothy's travel through Oz is full of lovable characters, beautiful sets,… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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