Summary
“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” is just one of the iconic lines from one of history’s most beloved dark fantasies,The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.There are 14 books in the original series penned by Frank L. Baum, and the impressive number of spinoffs and short stories by a wide variety of other authors adds even more to an already extensive library.
That’s just the books and graphic novels. Most of the film adaptations ofThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozeither leave out certain partsor borrow from other books, partly because the subject matter is difficult to translate into live-action. Frank L. Baum was a prolific but enigmatic writer, andthe best adaptations of his workare creative, daring, and do credit to his strange and wonderful creations.
6The Muppet’s Wizard Of Oz
IMDb Rating: 5.1
In the spirit of everythingin this beloved franchise,The Muppet’s Wizard of Ozis a musical comedy with plenty of fourth-wall breaks and inside jokes for those that grew up in the era ofSesame StreetandThe Muppet Show. Upon meeting the Wizard, Kermit, who takes on the role of the Scarecrow, asks him if he’s related to Frank Oz, the co-founder ofThe Muppetsand the brilliant talent behind Miss Piggy andStar Wars’Yoda.
Of course, the dark fantasy elements are entirely gone, replaced by some priceless nostalgia from a bygone era that featured stars like Ashanti, Quentin Tarantino, and Queen Latifah. Ashanti is Dorothy in this version, but instead of a girl living in the Kansas Dust Bowl, she’s an aspiring singer living in a trailer park.
5The Wiz
IMDb Rating: 5.6
The Wizwas originally a Broadway musical, and it has appeared on stage and television at various times, with the most recent being a television show in 2015. It was adapted into this movie in the late 1970s, a time of disco and “Blacksploitation” movies, and features stars like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
The setting is far removed from Kansas, and instead, the story begins in an apartment in Harlem. Dorothy Gale lives with her aunt and uncle, and they’re all together to celebrate Thanksgiving, but when she chases Toto out into a snowstorm she finds herself transported to the magical land of Oz. An interesting twist is that “Oz” is a dystopian version of New York City that Dorothy has to restore.
420th Century Oz
IMDb Rating: 5.7
Also known asOz – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Movieor simply asOz, the title is intended to play on the nickname forthe country of Australiaas much as it is a reference to that magical faraway land. This movie is set in that great southern land, and is a shameless parody of the original movie, but this time Dorothy is a groupie, and she puts on her ruby slippers to follow her favorite band, Wally and the Falcons.
After a rough night that ends with a car accident involving the band’s bus, Dorothy wakes up after taking a blow to the head and finds herself in a fantasy world. This movie might be a party, but this is a faithful adaptation of the original story in which the whole adventure is initially attributed to a feverish dream. The good fairy in this case is fashionista Glin, who gives Dorothy the ruby slippers to see one last concert, but she also has to brave the open road to get there.
3Oz The Great And Powerful
IMDb Rating: 6.3
This isn’t an adaptation of any one book, but a prequel to the 1939 movie that’s told from the Wizard’s point of view. Oscar Diggs was a common traveling charlatan in Kansas when a storm swept his hot air balloon to Oz. When he arrives, a young witch named Theodora concludes that he must be the Wizard who was prophesied to come to Oz and defeat the Wicked Witch.
Oscar is only human, and takes advantage of his newfound powers, including the magic of an old-fashioned love triangle with three witches, but things get out of hand very quickly. With the help of Glinda the Good Wizard, Oscar eventually manages to defeat the Witches and become the ruler of Oz, setting the stage forThe Wizard of Oz.
2Return To Oz
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Despite the very impressive number of adaptations of the original book,Return To Ozis the only direct sequel to the film that was made in 1939. It takes characters and settings from a variety of books in the series, mainlyThe Marvelous Land of OzandOzma of Oz, and keeps not onlythe dark fantasy elementbut also includes some horror and drama, with a terrifying first act that starts in an old-school sanitorium, complete with a session of electroshock therapy.
Dorothy returns to Oz after escaping from the clutches of a doctor treating her for “nightmares” and finds herself in the magical land with her pet chicken, Billina. When they return to the Emerald City, however, they find it in ruins, controlled by a witch named Mombi and guarded by a thuggish pack of her minions called the Wheelers. Dorothy collects the usual motley crew of friends, but this time it’s Jack Pumpkinhead, a robot named Tik Tok, and a “gump,” a green, moose-like animal native to Oz, who is also a couch.
1The Wizard Of Oz
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Modern audiences might not understand the hype, but Technicolor was a new thing once, and the transition from black-and-white Kansas to full-color Oz blew more than a few minds in its day. The legendary “ruby slippers” are silver in the book, but their color was changed to havea more dramatic appearancein the movie, and they’ve been red ever since. Other legends abound regarding the making of this movie, and most of them are epic tales of early Hollywood that defy today’s logic.
The musical numbers, practical special effects, and star power behind this movie made it one of the first real blockbusters. It was also one of the first fantasy movies to get some real funding and studio support, which is visible in the sets and costuming and is one of the reasons the legacy ofThe Wizard of Ozstill endures 85 years after its initial release.
