Summertime Entertainment (II), Prana Animation Studios, Prana Studios,
Patrick Stewart, Lea Michele, Martin Short, Hugh Dancy, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Kenny, Oliver Platt, Tacey Adams, Michael Krawic, Ayana Haviv
Dorothy (Lea Michele) returned to Kansas to find the place very much destroyed from the tornado that took her away. But before she could return to her home she was whisked back to Oz. Oz is in trouble. She looks for her friends, the Lion (James Belushi), the Scarecrow (Dan Akroyd) , and the Tin Man (Kelsey Grammer), but Oz is in danger from a new villain, the Jester (Martin Short) who has taken control. With some brand new friends and the help of Glinda the Good Witch (Bernadette Peters) she is ready to fight to save the Land of Oz and save her friends.
This animated version of Dorothy’s Return was a good attempt to bring back the magic of Oz with a new story. L Frank Baum wrote a number of novels about Oz, but I feel like this one came from a whole different imagination. This wasn’t a great film, nor will it stand the test of time. There are some really good things about this this movie. The music itself isn’t spectacular, but the voices are very good. We have some great talent playing the roles in this film. The story is a little too “Jack Frost” with Martin Short playing his evil character in exactly the same way. A jester, after all, is not the most fear inspiring character on the planet. He’s mostly childish and annoying and a lot like the typical Martin Short bad guy. The script is not too hot. That’s the biggest problem. It’s rather silly. I expected this to be a film that parents and kids could enjoy together, but rather I think most adults will find it a bit silly. That being said, I believe the younger folks will probably enjoy it. I guess this movie missed the sweet spot of people who remember and love the original that was replayed on TV every year, but would find this version too silly, and those that could enjoy the story, but don’t care much about the characters from the original. In any case, it is what it is, and certainly the younger folks will enjoy this film. If you have an interest in seeing it for curiosity’s sake, enjoy the music and the new characters. It’s not all that bad. But just don’t go in expecting a terrific story, because it isn’t. It’s certainly worth watching if you’re interested.
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