Return to Oz overcame critical disdain to become a cult classic. It succeeded by staying closer to the books of L. Frank Baum than its famous predecessor.
Back to Oz, a live-action film that is not a full-fledged sequel from 1985, survived critical disdain and audience apathy to become something of a cult classic. It was criticized upon its release due to its dedication to the follow-up to the beloved in 1939 The Wizard of Oz His dark tone and subject matter didn’t win him many fans – and even today his naysayers regard him as pretense. One of the greatest and most influential films all times.
Fans, however, are appreciative Back to Oz For its special qualities, which are more impressive than it might seem at first. To look at her as a claimant to the throne is to look with the wrong eyes. Back to Oz It does not work because it is duplicated Charm The Wizard of Ozbut because it captures so much of creator L. Frank Baum’s storytelling The Wizard of Oz Never can. Its discovery required a better knowledge of Baum than the cynics of the time
The Wizard of Oz made major changes to Baum’s story
Boom’s original book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz He laid a solid foundation for the 1939 film adaptation to build upon. She also conveyed a scope and vision that no film industry at the time could hope to emulate. This includes things like carnivorous Kalidahs and some elaborate wizard dolls that he uses to trick people into believing he has magical powers. The movie also made more subtle changes: eliminating the traditional blue color that dominated Munchkin Country in the books, for example, as well as Dorothy Gale made herself less rigid And more vulnerable.
However, none of this is considered criticism; The nature of the source material simply informed the filmmakers’ choices in an era when everything required practical effects. Indeed, The Wizard of Oz She’s great for the things she can bring, like the winged witch monkeys and the tornado that carries Dorothy away. The decision to make it a musical also has its effect, as great songs often take center stage in a more elaborate development of the world itself. Baum became one aspect of many of the ingredients the film is based on, and while the changes certainly didn’t hurt the final product, they still left noticeable bits of Baum’s flavor behind.
Go back to Oz Sticks more akin to the books
Back to Oz It devotes itself far more to Boom than to the 1939 film, notably by forgoing any musical numbers and sticking more closely to the original scripts. Drawing inspiration largely from the second and third books, The land of Oz And Ozma of Oz. This includes some of its darker elements, notably the evil Nome King who slowly turns Dorothy’s friends into scenes on his shelf, and Mombi: an amalgamation of two characters from the book who maintain a selection of living heads that they can swap and remove like clothes. That also includes a slew of new heroes like Jack Pumpkinhead and Tik-Tok the mechanical man, who fans of the book love as much as he does. The Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion.
This brings an element to the books that tHe is the Wizard of Oz Can’t help but dwell on: the idea that there was always a new surprise or someone waiting in Oz, no matter how many times readers come back. This, and adherence to some of the book’s darker undercurrents, finds even more fertile ground in Back to Oz than its predecessor. And the special effects in that time have improved greatly, allowing characters like The Gump and Billina, the talking chicken to really stand out. Villains like rolling Wheelers benefited as well, with the Nome King introduced in stop-motion animation that remains impressive to this day.
All coalesced into a solid cinematic vision, one that transcends the shadow of its predecessor to find its own voice. Back to Oz Succeed in her biggest challenge – avoiding comparisons to her The Wizard of Oz — and, in the process, find an angle in mythology that the acclaimed 1939 film couldn’t. Four decades later, her dedication has paid off, making it an evergreen on its own terms rather than the critics’ terms. Oz, and the author who made it, are all her best.