“The Wizard of Oz” is considered to be one of the greatest films of all-time – one that simply can’t be touched. However, that’s exactly what’s been done over the past 75 years, with musical spinoffs (such as “The Wiz”), prequels (last year’s Disney blockbuster “Oz: The Great and Powerful” and Broadway sensation “Wicked”), and even an IMAX 3D re-release of the 1939 classic this past September.
An animated “sequel” can now be added to this list, the debut of the genre in the Summer ’14 season. “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return” is the first film distributed by Clarius Entertainment, and the latest from LA/India-based animation co. Prana Studios (“Hoodwinked!”, “Planes”). “Legends” is closely based on “Oz” author L. Frank Baum’s grandson Roger S. Baum’s 1989 book, “Dorothy of Oz”. It’s certainly far from perfect but is an amusing and whole-hearted effort that’s “slightly” somewhere over the rainbow of the average animated film.
One of the strengths of “Legends of Oz” is the star-studded ensemble voice cast. The talented singer and star of “Glee”, Lea Michele, uses her vocal abilities as Dorothy Gale on several surprisingly solid musical numbers. It’s the day after she’s “not in Kansas anymore”, and Dorothy and Toto are back home to see for themselves the results of the devastating tornado. Auntie Em and Uncle Henry are being pressured to evacuate their damaged house by a greedy government inspector.
Then Dorothy sees a bright rainbow, which she and Toto soon get sucked-into, and they’re taken straight back to Oz. However, even though it’s only been a day away for Dorothy, for those in Oz, it’s been many years since she defeated The Wicked Witch of the West. Protecting the land from those dastardly flying monkeys, Scarecrow (voiced by Dan Aykroyd), Tin Man (the great Kelsey Grammer) and the far-from cowardly Lion (Jim Belushi) are desperately seeking Dorothy’s help in taking down a new enemy, one who’s just as evil as The Wicked Witch. In fact, it’s her brother – The Jester (voiced by Martin Short), who’s the current, mischievous ruler of Oz.
Dorothy travels the Yellow Brick Road with a new group of characters, including a wise old Owl (very similar to the one from the Hundred Acre Wood), a Marshmallow official and the China Princess. They’re all on their way to the Emerald City to try to put an end to The Jester’s reign of terror, which includes capturing Glinda and the other noble Oz residents and turning them into marionette puppets (a bit of a stretch).
“Legends of Oz” has more than a few Disney-esque qualities, from the songs to the numerous supporting characters and a star female heroine. It’s no surprise that co-directors Will Finn and Dan St. Pierre were animators and artists on the Mouse House’s classics “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Pocahontas” and “Tarzan”. You can tell these two simply didn’t slap this film together, instead putting a great deal of effort into this project, resulting in many of the film’s rewarding qualities.
However, “Legends of Oz” suffers from a below-par script. There’s not a lot of excitement, the action sequences are mindless and go on longer than they should, and while Short has the perfect voice for the role, his Jester is a one-note villain given too much screen time.
Thankfully, there are hardly any obvious, predictable references to the original “Oz”: no Black and White scenes, Ruby Slippers, or hints of the classic songs. The animation, while not at the level of Pixar, DreamWorks or Sony, is bright and friendly.
“Legends of Oz” is rated PG for some mild violence and is appropriate for kids 7 and up. Younger kids should enjoy the colorful characters and fun situations. For older kids and parents, there are moments that truly work, but not nearly enough for this to qualify as a “film for all ages.”
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return” gets a C+. It’s better than I expected, considering the rookie studio and potential trouble for messing with a classic.