Magical - 92%

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2006)

I have to say, first of all, that "The Wizard Of Oz" simply isn't my sort of film at all. I thought it was too dated, too camp a musical (*shudders*) for me to enjoy at all. Oh, I understand how important a film it is and I understand why people do enjoy it but I just felt that it wasn't for me. So imagine my surprise when I sat down to watch this before Christmas, only to find that I DID enjoy this film very much indeed. A big slice of humble pie for me, I feel!
Just in case you are completely ignorant about film and its long history, Judy Garland plays Dorothy Gale, an innocent farmer's daughter in Kansas whose best friend is her dog Toto. But her life is soon turned upside down when a vicious tornado lifts her home into the sky while she's still inside. When she wakes up, she finds herself in the mysteriously colourful land of Oz surrounded by dancing midgets and told by the Good Witch Of The North (Billie Burke) to visit the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) in the Emerald City. Rather than questioning her sanity, Dorothy soon meets others needing to see the Wizard - a lion (Bert Lahr) without any courage, a scarecrow (Ray Bolger) needing a brain and a tin man (Jack Haley) needing a heart.
It is strictly story-telling by numbers, almost pantomime in its delivery and the ending, though well known, feels like the precursor to soaps like "Dallas" and "Sunset Beach". But even today, this still comes across as a massive leap forward for film-making - remember, this was originally released before the Second World War. The transition from sepia-toned Kansas to bright, dazzling Oz is a revelation and sets the tone for the film. Everything in this film raises the standard for films to follow, from the disturbing flying monkeys to the costumes and special effects. And although it naturally looks dated these days, this film is still something special to watch. It's akin to listening to the Beatles or the Sex Pistols for the first time - it doesn't sound as fresh as it did but you still understand why it made the impact it did at the time.
I'm still of the opinion that this film is too camp and colourful a musical (*shudders*) for me to enjoy fully but if you enjoy a feel-good classic then you should either watch this film as soon as possible or you will have already seen it. It is undeniably a landmark film and one that should be appreciated as much today as it was then. It isn't for everybody - any fans of stuff like "The Terminator" or Steven Seagal are unlikely to get much from this - but if it melts the cynical old heart of a curmudgeon like myself then maybe, it can for you too. "The Wizard of Oz" is simply movie magic, end of story.