"The Wizard of Oz" is a timeless classic to almost all people of all ages, made surprisingly enough almost 60 years ago in 1939 - and the fact that it's story seems still so fresh and original to me truly makes this a classic.

The sets are exciting and wonderfully bright. The costumes are vivid and revealing. The whole film is one great big giant piece of old fashioned eye-candy. The story is simple - Dorothy, a poor little Kansas girl is disillusioned by life on the farm and dreams of something more. Of course all hell breaks loose and she is caught in a terrible tornado and she wakes up in the land of Oz.

Whether Oz is truly a real place - or just a figment of Dorothy's imagination is never addressed - but that's okay because this movie is pure fantasy for the audience. It's eye candy from old Hollywood, showing us that movies really can take us to different worlds.

Dorothy is seemingly stuck there, but she can get out of Oz if she wants - and to do that she must seek out the Wizard. So the rest of the movie deals with her famous journey following the yellow brick road to find the Wizard. And along the way she meets some very interesting characters - the scarecrow, the tin man and the cowardly lion. The truth is that this dreamlike land does seem to represent Dorothy's life, and the there is little doubt that the characters she meets are representations of people she knew on the farm. And then we can't forget the wicked witch of the west - a carbon copy of the mean old lady in her town who wants to take Dorothy's dog away. So with these characters, we follow Dorothy on a journey to find the Wizard - and we see how all the characters have to overcome their own fears in order to achieve their goals.

And that's what "The Wizard of Oz" is really about, the achievement of our personal goals and the obstacles we face to overcome them, and the fact that they can be overcome. It's a timeless quality and important lesson for children. And that is, that one can do anything if they really put their minds to it.

I found it neat to see "Oz" in a packed theater, for me it was the first real time I've seen the movie from start to finish and I really enjoyed "The Wizard of Oz". This version has been remastered - which means they've gone and restored the original film print - improving the quality of it - including the color, texture and sound of it - making it a vibrant and rich experience for the audience. If you can, it's well worth catching this movie on the big screen. A truly timeless picture.

Grade: A

(Movie originally reviewed on November 24, 1998)



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8