Return to Oz

Directed by Walter Murch, Return to Oz follows Fairuza Balk’s Dorothy Gale as she arrives in Oz after a six-month absence only to discover that the magical land has been turned upside down by a vain witch and the Nome King. It’s clear immediately that Murch, working from a script written with Gill Dennis, isn’t looking to deliver a polished, easily-accessible children’s movie, as Return to Oz has been infused with a dark, exceedingly gritty feel that’s reflected in everything from the grungy visuals to its proliferation of creepy characters and interludes – with the latter reflected quite keenly in the portrayal of the aforementioned witch’s disturbing henchman, the Wheelers. There’s little doubt, then, that the picture suffers from a sluggish and almost aggressively unappealing opening stretch that holds few, if any, compelling attributes, which ensures that the decidedly erratic yet progressively inventive second half can’t help but come off as a major improvement – with the growing emphasis on larger-than-life set pieces generally perpetuating the film’s mostly watchable vibe. By the time the entertainingly broad, special-effects-heavy finale rolls around, Return to Oz has cemented its place as a truly odd little movie that is, despite being about as hit-and-miss as one could possibly envision, probably more watchable than it has any right to be (or its dire reputation might’ve indicated).

**1/2 out of ****