Fun for everyone, still looks extravagant and beautiful.

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2002)

It's hard to judge a film like this, having grown up with it. I can't tell where sentiment ends and my critical eye begins. Suffice it to say that it is a wonderful rendition of Baum's story, with clever and amusing songs, and people of all ages can watch it. There are the occasional scary scenes of intense suspense and music that may frighten someone under three, but even these pass and are only part of what the screen presents you. The casting is perfect, the set design still amazes me. Dedicated and simple renditions of great ideas will trump the highest technological achievements if that technology serves a flat story or a poor imagination. The Wizard of Oz certainly qualifies as one of the more imaginative movies of all time, and the skill the players and the technical aspects only further its quality. In short, one of the finest films ever made.