The Wizard of Oz (1998)

THE WIZARD OF OZ is back in theaters for the first time in ages.  
The print's been buffed, the soundtrack's been boosted, and the 
results are a *world* more impressive than this summer's GONE WITH 
THE WIND reissue.  (Had Ms. Scarlet looked *this* good, I might've 
stayed to see the whole thing!)  Equally pleasing is how (reason-
ably) well the Yellow Brick Road holds up when viewed on the big 
screen.  (My main gripes:  the second hour is rather draggy and 
the Cowardly Lion sings like a cat in heat.)  Fun, too, to catch 
five decades of later references ("there's no place like home," 
"lions and tigers and bears, oh my!") in their original forms.  Of 
course, seeing it in a theater has *one* unintended effect--  you 
can't help but notice such obvious seams as the visible wires and 
painted backdrops, the Munchkins who look lost in the big scenes, 
and, in the film's most precious goof, the Goody Goody Witch 
mouthing the lyrics that Dorothy's singing.  (Rated "G"/101 min.)

Grade: A-

Copyright 1998 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies as MOVIE HELL: November 16, 1998