The Wizard Of Oz review

You don’t have to be a friend of Dorothy to enjoy this seasonal reissue of the perennial festive favourite, presented in a digitally remastered print which makes the Yellow Brick Road look even yellower. Spanking visuals aside, though, you might be wondering what on Earth would justify shelling out to watch a movie that, thanks to endless small-screen showings and numerous DVD releases, is as familiar to many of us as our own reflections.

True, there are only so many times you can see Judy sing ‘Over The Rainbow’ or click those ruby slippers. And yes, the once-revolutionary effects work is definitely showing its age. Taken as a whole, however, this phantasmagorical fantasy really does represent old-school MGM filmmaking at its best – sets, make-up, costumes and music combining to quite stunning effect. And if nothing else, there’s always that dead Munchkin to look out for.