Return to Oz (1985) Disney/Fantasy-Adventure RT: 113 minutes Rated PG (some scary moments and frightening images) Director: Walter Murch Screenplay: Walter Murch and Gill Dennis Music: David Shire Cinematography: David Watkin Release date: June 21, 1985 (US) Cast: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, Matt Clark, Emma Ridley, Justin Case, Pons Maar, Sophie Ward, Fiona Victory. Voice cast: Denise Bryer, Sean Barrett, Brian Henson, Lyle Conway. Box Office: $11.1M (US)
Rating: ***
Of course I didn’t see Return to Oz when it played in theaters nor did I rent it when it came out on video several months later. It had nothing to do with my liking or not liking The Wizard of Oz, the classic 1939 musical fantasy to which it’s a sequel. It was teenage pride. I was 17 and had no interest in seeing a stupid kid’s movie. And even if I was interested, I’d have been too embarrassed. What 17YO wants his friends to know he saw a movie meant for children? That’s why I didn’t see The Black Cauldron that same summer. This is one of the many reasons I hated being a teenager almost as much as I hated being a kid.
I finally watched Return to Oz about 15 years later and to my surprise, it wasn’t as bad as I heard it was over the years. A lot of the criticism aimed at this movie was over its dark tone and twisted visuals. I’ll grant that it’s dark and weird, but let me ask you this. How would you describe a movie with little people, flying monkeys and a house landing on a witch? How about one that can be synched up with the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon? Uh, huh, BINGO! The original Wizard of Oz, when you think about it, is freaky. In its 80 years, it’s scared as many kids (if not more) as it delighted. The Wicked Witch of the West is the star of thousands of kid’s nightmares. When you take all this into consideration, is Return to Oz really any worse?
Based on two of L. Frank Baum’s Oz novels, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz, Return to Oz takes place about six months after Dorothy Gale’s (played by newcomer Fairuza Balk) original journey to the Land of Oz. She still talks about it a lot and it has Auntie Em (Laurie, Carrie) and Uncle Henry (Clark, Tuff Turf) worried. They believe she imagined the whole thing and it just isn’t healthy to treat a fantasy as if it’s real. Auntie Em decides to do something about it. She takes Dorothy to an asylum to be treated by Dr. Worley (Williamson, Excalibur) trying out an innovative new procedure involving electricity to the brain- i.e. electroshock therapy.
Of course, it’s a hellish place run by Nurse Wilson (Marsh, The Changeling), the 19th century version of Nurse Ratched. Just as Dorothy’s about to undergo her first session (strapped to a gurney, of course), lightning causes a power failure and a mysterious girl (Ridley) helps her escape. Nurse Wilson chases them right into a raging river where the girl disappears and Dorothy clings for dear life to a chicken coop. When she wakes up, she’s not in Kansas anymore.
Oz isn’t the same as she left it. The place is in ruins and everybody’s been turned to stone including her old traveling companions, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. Scarecrow is nowhere to be found. The only sign of life is the “Wheelers” (men with wheels for hands and feet) that chase her and her pet chicken Billina (Bryer) who can now talk. They come to a room where they find a mechanical man named Tik-Tok (Barrett) who explains the one behind Emerald City’s destruction and Scarecrow’s disappearance is the Nome King (Williamson). Once again, it’s up to Dorothy to save Oz. This time, she has a new set of friends that includes Jack Pumpkinhead (Henson) and Gump (Conway), a moose head tied to an old couch with rope. Together they must defeat the Nome King and Princess Mombi (Marsh), an evil witch who collects heads. She wears them, changing them like they’re fashion accessories. Like I said, Return to Oz is one bizarre movie.
When it comes to Oz sequels, official or not, I’d say that Return to Oz is definitely my favorite. It’s certainly better than 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful, a movie that was fine until Mila Kunis’ unfortunate transformation into CGI Wicked Witch of the West. It took me right out of the fantasy. The effects in Return to Oz are GREAT! The Nome King, a talking rock, comes to life through Claymation. Jim Henson’s company is behind the brilliant animatronics and puppetry. The Wheelers are simply horrifying with the way they ride around like a PG/PG-13 version of the Road Warrior gang. And that inhuman shrieking, WOW! I can see where kids would find that scary.
Balk, in her first movie, makes a good Dorothy. In some way, she’s better than Judy Garland. For one thing, she’s the right age. Garland was 16 when she made Wizard; Dorothy is supposed to be around nine or ten if I’m not mistaken. For another, she doesn’t sing. Since Return to Oz is NOT a musical, it’s not required. Because of that, I’m more inclined to believe Falk as a girl capable of saving an entire fantasy world. Williamson chews up the scenery and makes it look delicious as both the creepy doctor and the scary Nome King. Marsh joins him in his meal in her two roles as well.
Not only do I like Return to Oz, I admire it as well. One of the reasons I avoided it for years was because it’s a Disney movie. I figured it would pander to kids like most of their output. It DOESN’T! It actually challenges them by presenting them with dark, semi-serious material. In his sole directorial effort, Walter Murch shows a gift for visuals and action. I LOVE that it’s so weird. Now I’m kind of sorry I didn’t watch it sooner. It would have been nice to have a nostalgic connection to it. Oh well, blame it on being 17 and trying to look cool.
