Return to Oz

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Return to Oz

PG

1985

1h 50m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

59%

Tomatometer

112 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Dorothy discovers she is back in the land of Oz, and finds the yellow brick road is now a pile of rubble, and the Emerald City is in ruins. Discovering that the magical land is now under the control of an evil empire, she sets off to rescue the scarecrow, the tin man and the lion with the help of her new friends.

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Critics Consensus

Return to Oz taps into the darker side of L. Frank Baum's book series with an inventive, dazzling adventure that never quite recaptures the magic of its classic predecessor.

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

Oct 2

The one merciful aspect of Return to Oz is that it's not a musical.

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Michael Healy

Denver Post

08/19/2025

If there's a theme hidden somewhere in "Return to Oz," I couldn't find it.

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Andrew Sarris

Village Voice

06/20/2025

Walter Murch's Return to Oz can stand on its own as a creative children's entertainment, much closer, in fact, to the spirit of the Baum books than the wildly overrated Wizard.

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Charlie Patton

Florida Times-Union

Jan 27

3/5

Return to Oz is an exercise in technical virtuosity that is bound to please no one.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Dec 30

"Return to Oz" is a technically accomplished, but singularly charmless, film.

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Michael Lasky

Bay Area Reporter

08/19/2025

Viewed without prejudice for the past, Return to Oz succeeds winningly.

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Lars C

@RT85506637 4d

I really love return to Oz. It is a fun, creepy movie. It is amazing. It’s super creepy and it’s on rotten tomatoes.

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Brenton B

@BKB2009 Jul 2

This is a good and perfect film adaptation for the sequels of the wizard of Oz

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Glen M

@RT32794586 May 7

I Saw this way back when and I recently saw it at the screening in the renovated Castro theater in San Francisco. It is a cult classic, because it is PURE torture to watch. YES, I watched people leave. There's charm at the attempt to make it something special, but if you want special... watch "The Dark Crystal" "The Never Ending Story" or even an old infomercial is more entertaining. The director has done incredible movies and it was embarrassing that the person who hosted this was practically bowing to him with how much he loved this awful film (director has done far better, names removed so it doesn't show up in their searches) I was brought to this movie by a friend for free and afterwards we talked about that it was as bad as we remembered. I would have paid NOT to go. Get high, drunk or be prepared for unapologetically bad. KRULL is better. Although the one star rating seems mean, it's a train wreck that you'd watch anyway. Low expectations mean more enjoyment. Knock yourself out!

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Jonathan H.

@JonathanHammaker Mar 3

I'll try my best to like it, but like my mother says, nothing can't top the 1939's the wizard of oz , but I like it, it kinda grows on me.

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bayard b

@PearlyEyes Feb 1

This is one of the greatest fantasy films of the 80s... Incredible puppetry and character design... and a wonderfully imaginative story. One of the only OZ movies that is incredibly faithful to the OZ books (in story and design).. particularly "Ozma of Oz". It amazing how panned it was by critics at the time, as its acting, puppetry, cinematography, and matte painting are truly unmatched. One of the lost gems that stands alongside Labyrinth, Baron von Munchausen, Dark Crystal, and Never Ending Story. Truly incredible and unmatched.

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Christopher W

@RT25985998 Nov 27

Excellent theatrical re-imagining in the continuation of the legendary series by Frank Oz.

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Walter Murch

Director

Fairuza Balk

Dorothy

Nicol Williamson

Dr. Worley

Jean Marsh

Nurse Wilson

Piper Laurie

Aunt Em

Matt Clark

Uncle Henry

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Synopsis

Dorothy discovers she is back in the land of Oz, and finds the yellow brick road is now a pile of rubble, and the Emerald City is in ruins. Discovering that the magical land is now under the control of an evil empire, she sets off to rescue the scarecrow, the tin man and the lion with the help of her new friends.

Director: Walter Murch
Producer: Paul Maslansky
Screenwriter: Walter Murch, Gill Dennis
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Oz Productions Ltd., Silver Screen Partners II
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 21, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Surround

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