Memorable and enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10 (10 May 2011)

The Wizard of Oz is a musical fantasy film which is a 1939 movie adaptation of the 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by Lyman Frank Baum. Baum also wrote 13 further stories set in Oz, as well as many other children's novels.
Firstly, I'll start off this review by saying that I'm not a big fan of musicals. While I can appreciate the amount of effort that goes into writing lyrics and incorporating the songs into the film, I've never really understood or enjoyed the genre. Just the idea of having a film where people burst out singing for no good reason doesn't sit too well for me.
That being said, this is one of the few musical films that not only I find enjoyable, but it's also one of the most memorable films I've ever seen. The songs in this film, apart from being catchy, are incorporated very well into the film and, most of the time, are actually important to the plot, and not just for entertainment. One of the biggest pet peeves of mine is the fact that in most musicals, generally they just sing about something that's completely irrelevant to what's going on. Anyway, onto the review!
The plot revolves around Dorothy Gale, a farm girl from Kansas, her dog Toto, a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion, among other characters. Starting off in Kansas, when Toto bites the irritable Almira Gulch, she obtains a sheriff's order to take away and put Toto down. Dorothy and Toto flee back home, and find that a gigantic twister is fast approaching. Seeking shelter inside the house, Dorothy is knocked unconscious. She and Toto wind up in the strange, very colourful land of Oz (still in the house). Wishing to return home, she is informed by Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, that the Wizard of Oz is her only option, and the only way to get Emerald City, where he is situated, is by following the famous Yellow Brick Road. Along the way, she meets a Scarecrow who seeks a brain, a Tin Man who seeks a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who seeks courage, and they all decide to go to the Emerald City together. But their journey is hindered by the Wicked Witch of the West, who wishes to seek revenge against Dorothy for killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Coincidentally, Dorothy's house accidentally lands on the Wicked Witch of the East. I won't reveal the ending, but I will say that it is a surprising one, and by far one of the best I've ever seen.
So, what makes this film "memorable and enjoyable"? Being a musical, the songs play the largest role in the film, and they are among the most catchiest, most original and happiest I've ever heard. The voice of the beautiful Judy Garland make the songs really stand out and shine. Of course, you can't forget the other characters, such as the munchkins, who sing the ever-so-catchy "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead", and the Scarecrow's wishful ballad "If I Only Had a Brain". Not only are the songs amazingly well written, but they really do fit in with the story, and turn what would be boring dialogue scenes into joyous and remarkable melodies.
And it's not just the songs which make this film a masterpiece. While the acting isn't realistic, the lines are delivered extremely well by every actor in the film, and there are a lot of lines in the film which people still use today, such as "There's no place like home" and the more hilarious "I'm melting! Melting!". Another thing that's well done in this film is the visual aspect. The farm sequences in Kansas are filmed in Sepia, in order to create drab, mundane effect, while in Oz, it's filmed in colour, to create a wonderland type effect. The sets are also very attractive and original. The Emerald City glows the brightest lime green, but the Wicked Witch's castle, in contrast, is dim and dark, with lot's of grey, black and brown.
There are a few things which drag the film down, such as the duration. Some scenes, I feel, are stretched out and are a lot longer than they should be. And, sometimes the film can get a bit boring in the non-musical scenes, but I suppose that just proves how good the songs are!
With amazing audio, visual and dialogue components, it's no wonder that The Wizard of Oz is the most watched film of all time, and some, including me, would go as far to say that it is the most enjoyed film of all time. I give the film an 8 out of 10 because, while I enjoy the film, I just don't like musicals. However, I will say that if this film was done in any other form than a musical, it would've been horrible.