Ritorno a Oz

THIS CAN ONLY be described as a curious mixture of L. Frank Baum story, TV type limited animation and (for Hollywood "Star Power") a cast of veteran, well known performers doing the voices. Being the product of FILMATION ASSOCIATES, it was their 'ultimate' success. After all after doing so many Saturday morning kiddie cartoon shows, it was their one theatrical release.

ALTHOUGH MANY WOULD decry its lack of Disney-like polish or even the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the Fleischers, the production has much to recommend it.

WITHOUT ANY PRETENSIONS of being 'Art' or 'serious' drama, the production team gave us a straight forward telling of a story that has much more of the original Baum tales than one might imagine. Not least of which we point to the veteran cast.

IN A LINE-UP which must have co$t Filmation mucho buck$, we have: Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Herschel Bernardi, Paul Ford, Jack E. Leonard, Paul Lynde, Mickey Rooney, Rise Stevens, Danny Thomas, Mel Blanc, Dal McKennonLarry Storch and Bill Cosby.

BY WAY OF a tribute to the legendary reputation of the MGM 1939 WIZARD OF OZ, the voice of Aunt Em is done by Margaret Hamilton and Dorothy was done by Liza Minelli, Judy Garland's daughter.

I don't think it is quite as good as the 1939 classic, which was and still is my childhood favourite, but it is an enjoyable underrated film, that is nowhere near as bad as some people say it is. The animation while simple, is colourful and adds to the charm of the film. The songs, while not as fabulous as the 1939 film, are still very nice and quite charming, even "Carousel". Liza Minelli does an excellent job as Dorothy, and I think her singing voice here was beautiful, and here she sounds like her mother, the wonderful Judy Garland. I loved the characters Pumpkinhead, Glinda (voiced by beautiful opera singer Rise Steevens) and the Horse, but the biggest surprise was Ethel Merman as the witch Mombi. This is still the same person who has the big, brassy voice from films like Call Me Madam, yet she does this film, and manages to do a truly excellent voice over, that is both sinister and fun. Even Margaret Hamilton, the wicked Witch in the 1939 film, voices Aunt Em here The story is like the animation, cute and charming, not the best story line in the world, but stays fairly true to the film it obviously drew its inspiration from. All in all, an enjoyable, charming film. It's not perfect, but I've honestly seen worse. 8/10 Bethany Cox.

This movie is excellent! Liza sounds just like her mother when she did the film that it gives me chills every time! I love the new songs and the wonderful plotline which is mesh of "The Marvelous Land of Oz" and "Ozma of Oz". A fantastic sequel =)

I haven't seen this film for years, but I remember loving it when I was about six years old - the main thing I remember about it was the song 'an elephant never forgets' which I thought was amazing and went around singing for weeks which drove my parents mad because they didn't like the movie very much. I'm glad Liza played Dorothy - it's only right that Judy Garland's daughter played her character in this cartoon sequel. *goes to dig out the video* I know it's the same character, and played by Judy's daughter who looks and sounds a lot like her, but No comparison can really be drawn from Journey Back to Oz and The Wizard of Oz as they are two completely different things - each with their merits and their weaknesses - but both (in my opinion) are brilliant and well worth a watch!

...and Ethel Merman buffs, too, will love her loud, bossy vocals as the wicked witch Mombi, but this cartoon sequel to "The Wizard Of Oz" is bereft of real imagination, substituting fantasy and excitement with noisy action (and cheaply repeating its footage like a bad music video). Little Dorothy is whisked back to Oz, which has gone to ruin, and meets old and new friends. The inelegant animation is stuck somewhere between the weakest Walt Disney and the less-inspired shows from Hanna-Barbera, however many of the songs are good, particularly Dorothy's sweet lament "It's a Far Away Land", superbly performed by Liza Minnelli. You can count on Minnelli for energy, which is why the movie perks up whenever Dorothy is around. Much of it is unmemorable, and I'm not even sure baby-boomers will get a charge from it since it has been out of circulation for so long. As a curiosity item, just fair. ** from ****