The Marvelous Land of Oz

Description

Animated adaptation of L. Frank Baum's beloved fantasy novel.

Customer Reviews:

Back for More Adventures in Oz.......2004-08-18

PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING (BELOW) REVIEW: "Good, but could have been better"!
That review is incorrectly posted at the WRONG STORY!! That review refers to another stage musical of L. Frank Baum's second Oz book. Let me tell you this: What I have written is important: THE ABOVE PICTURE OF "The Marvelous Land of Oz" is the 1987, ANIMATED, NON-MUSICAL, DOROTHY IN OZ, NO WOGGLE-BUG Movie, sequel to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" in the same year, 1987, which was animated, not a musical, and very close to the ORIGINAL book. This 'Land of Oz" movie picks where the first immediately stopped: Dorothy and Toto have returned to Kansas with the magic shoes and are reunited with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Dorothy tells them of their adventure in Oz, and after being back in Kansas for a day, returns to Oz, without Toto or the magic shoes - by accident - meeting Tip, Mombi, Jack and afterwards Jinjur and her army. In this version, Glinda sends Dorothy home. Now that that's settled, carry on.

Now for my Actual Proper Review (2006):
After the Opening "Listen to Your Heart" song (which sounds just as great as "Searching for a Dream", maybe even better), this animated Oz-2 takes up where 'Wonderful Wizard' ended, but with an extended sequence not seen before. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are nearly finished building their new farm-house (after the cylone) when a dog that looks very much Toto apeears, and soon after so does Dorothy - they're back!! Dorothy tells them of her adventures in Oz, but even though they find it hard to believe her, they're still glad she's back. Dorothy goes looking for one of her lost magic shoes (*but is unable to find it. Later, when the family goes shopping for supplies, a circus being prepared has Dorothy reunited with none other than the Wizard of Oz himself, although he seems reluctant to feel the same *). Aunt Em finds the other shoe, and Dorothy eagerly and carelessly uses both shoes to return to Oz, leaving Toto and the shoes in Kansas - and then do Aunt Em and Uncle Henry believe her. Dorothy meets up with Tip (*who first appeared in 'Wonderful Wizard' when Mombi wanted the Golden Cap*), who is making a pumpkin-man to scare Mombi. It works, but Mombi tries out the Come-Alive, and Jack Pumpkinhead comes to life! Mombi, thinking Dorothy a witch, schemes to steal her powers and turn them to stone, but the children and Jack escape, with Mombi chasing after them. Later, they come across a wooden saw horse and decide to bring it to life with Mombi's stolen Come-Alive Powder (* which later helps them get across a river*) and runs on ahead with Jack to Emerald City (*where he meets King Scarecrow of Oz*). Dorothy and Tip are left to meet General Jijnur who, with her All-Girl Army, plans to overthrow King Scarecrow and become Queen of the Emearld City! After the Gate-Guardian is defeated by Jinjur's army, Dorothy and Tip warn Scarecrow of the Invasion, and make their escape, just as Mombi arrives at Emerald City (the scenes of her at the gates are funny, getting knocked 3 times 3 different ways!). As Mombi joins General Jinjur, the friends go on to the West (*despite the Saw-Horse's broken leg accident*) and ask the Tin Woodman for help. Mombi uses her magic to surround the friends with a field of Sunflwoers, which thanks to Jinjur doesn't last long. The Mouse Queen is called upon to help her friends with their mission and gives them her Secret Weapon. (*After more magic tricks, like a giant cliff-like wall and a circle of fire*) the friends finally return to Emearld City and find it in bad shape (*all the men are doing the hard work while the women can do whatever they want, even the Gate-Guardian is looking after a baby *) the Soldier is cleaning up garbage. In the Throne Room Jinjur, Mombi and the Army surround Dorothy & her friends, but are no match for the Mouse Queen's Secret Weapon. Jinjur attempts to attack, while Scarecrow decides for them to ecape using the Come-Alive Powder. (*Jack uses the Wizard's old tricks to distract/scare the girls as his friends put together and bring to life a Moose-Bed*) Once everything is together, the friends narrowly escape and head off to Glinda in the South. (* But Mombi causes the Moose-Bed and its passengers to drift away into a valley of mist, mountains and cliffs, where they are encounter, are captured by and escape one of several giant flying lizards - instead of Jackdaws. *) They arrive at Glinda's Castle and Glinda is aware of their dilemma, but intends to put the True Ruler of Oz on the Throne: Ozma, baby girl heir of their last king who disappeard. Searching for information, they discover that only Mombi knows of Ozma's whereabouts (* Glinda terrifies and talks to Mombi, Jinjur and her army as Scarecrow inspires the Emerald City People to be good again, despite what Jinjur says. Afterwards Mombi and Jinjur's 'disguise' trick over the people doesn't last long *). At Jinjur's suggestion, the friends look for Mombi throughout the palace and, again due to Jinjur, find her. Jinur and Mombi argure with eachother, break off their 'teamwork', only to have Mombi transform herself into a dragon. Glinda appears and chases after the escaping Mombi-Dragon and easily triumphs over her. Using her magic, Glinda has Mombi reveal what she did to Ozma, restores the Princess to her Throne, prevents Mombi and Jinjur from causing anymore trouble and rewards the friends by returning them home. Jack and Ozma hope for Dorothy to return to Oz again soon as the End Credits play "Searching for a Deam", only this time playing clips from this adventure along with the later 'Ozma' and 'Emerald City'.
Just like 'Wonderful Wizard', this English DVD goes for just over 1 hr 30 mins, when of course there were many scenes which would have made this a much more faithful presentation had it actually gone for 1 hr 45 mins or so. Out of the original 52 episodes, 'Marvelous Land' takes up 13, all of which are edited here ('Wonderful Wizard' actually has a few episodes entirely excluded from the english DVD/Video.) There's still some good things about this version even in its cut short presentation: If you thought that Glinda looked good in 'Wonderful Wizard' she looks and sounds more magnificent here, we see a lot more of the Soldier who was cut-out of (and appeared for only a few seconds) in the first adventure, even learning how (in this depiction) he's a Munchkin. The cover itself has the friends and background from a deleted scene, just before 'Mombi and Jinjur confront' the people - Scarecrow is not taller than the Tin Woodman, he's just been incorrectly moved around. Since Dorothy didn't appear in the original book's story (except for an illustration - pg 125 - and several references), she definitely joins in the adventure in this adapation, even though she doesn't really do much, but her appearance is better than having Mr. H.M. (Highly Magnified) Woggle-Bug, T. E. (Thoroughly Educated), who I think has no real importance in the story by slowing it down (14 pages!!) and getting into useless conversations with the main characters - therefore he's annoying. Ozma's design to some people isn't really that pleasing: she's smaller than Dorothy, has short brown curly hair, a cape connected to a ruffled collar and royal stockings, but I don't mind so much, considering that the design for Jinjur and her army are worse (baggy pants with capes and sleeveless tops, resembling Arabian Nights). The only thing I don't really like is how Tip is occasionally rude to Jack, telling him not to talk or call him 'dad'. And as you can read above the names for the Gump (which originally had 4 palm-leaf wings, two sofas and an elk-like head tied up with string in the original book - faithfully depicted in "Disney's Return to Oz" - now a bed, a moose-head and other materials put together in this animation) and Powder of Life have been altered. Despite these changes, it's still good to watch and much better than the next adventure of "Cinar's Ozma of Oz" . . .

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