The Wizard of Ahhhs

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2013)

Mere hours before seeing the latest incarnation of the land of Oz (2013's Oz the Great and Powerful,) I got a chance to see, for the first time since I was a little tyke: the original great and powerful The Wizard of Oz. And, let me assure you: this isn't just a movie, it's an experience.
Far before it's time, mostly being in color notwithstanding, the sets, costumes, dialogue and special effects were absolutely advanced far beyond its 1939 release date. With this viewing, and who knows how many there had been, I found myself laughing out loud, enjoying the musical numbers, almost crying due to the genuine heart displayed by the characters and the actual feel of being in this land of spectacular Oz.
Since the story has been told dozens of times and pretty much everyone has seen it, it's almost irrelevant to give the synopsis, but here goes anyways: young Dorothy Gale is thrust into a mystical land when she fails to secure herself from a pending tornado (or "twister") attack. There, she immediately makes both allies and an enemy – the worst and, um, wicked kind, and she sets out to find her way home while meeting great friends along the way.
For the three humans left alive that haven't seen this, there's more to the story and a lot of more iconic lines and characters than I probably could post in under a thousand words. Suffice to say, the number one was the world-famous Wicked Witch of the West, the pre-Darth Vader, decades before Anakin donned the mask.
Keep in mind, while this does work for adults, this really is mainly for children and I am 100% pleased about this fact. That said, the almost too-scary-for-kids Witch from the West was so well played by Margaret Hamilton, so well done up from face to outfit to evil laugh, that she will – ah-hem, has – go(ne) down in cinema's hall-of-villain fame. Scratch that; she is one of the most iconic characters, good or bad, of all time, despite her short time on screen. And I loved every minute she was shown.
Okay, she's not the only one that made this movie elevated from just "movie status." Judy Garland and her voice were excellent, the trio of Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley as The Scarecrow, The Cowardly Lion and The Tin Man, respectively, were also smartly written characters that I absolutely loved and respected.
I wouldn't call this movie perfect, but dang, it's right there on the absolute edge of perfection. What they did with what resources they had back 74 years ago astonishes me today. While most sets did actually look like sets, it never bothered me. I always felt like I was a part of the action, the adventure and truly in the Land of Oz.
Aside from Chicago – my favorite musical, this film and the great The Sound of Music, I've actually seen very few musicals and it's quite known in my circle of friends that I don't rush to see musicals. That said, I love the majority of songs in this film and who really couldn't? I mean, when Judy sings the best of the bunch, "Over the Rainbow," or you get the timeless variations of "Off to See the Wizard," or when the bell was rung with "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead," you can't help but remember your childhood and have your heart soar.
There's very little to say more about this fantastic ride that hasn't been said before. So, to sum it up and suffice to say: SEE IT!*
* - Again, that is.