Best Oz movies to watch

By Alex Wiggan

Ever since L. Frank Baum published his children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz back in 1900, writers, producers, and directors have been falling over themselves to adapt the story for the big screen. The book’s imaginative tale, its colourful characters, and its spirited sense of adventure has given the story life far beyond the printed page, and this has drawn audiences in time and time again.

In fact, Baum’s entire collection of Oz books have been deeply inspirational to filmmakers. So much so, various stories and ideas have been interwoven into these adaptations, bringing even more characters and concepts to life.

From The Wiz (1978) and Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz (1987), to Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011) and Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return (2013), there are many movies based on the land of Oz. Not all are particular great, but if you’re an Oz enthusiast there are a number to delve into.

But if you simply want to watch the better movies, you may wish to seek out the six films listed below. These films will give you all the entertainment you need, and allow you to spend some enjoyable time with Dorothy and Co.

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The Wizard of Oz (1939)

First up is easily the most famous Oz movie of them all – the 1939 live-action musical fantasy, The Wizard of Oz. Directed by Victor Fleming (before he left the production to take charge of Gone with the Wind), The Wizard of Oz stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, and Margaret Hamilton, and follows the story of young Dorothy Gale as she is whisked away from Kansas and taken to Oz.

In the movie, Dorothy teams up with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, as they embark on a journey along the Yellow Brick Road to meet the so-called ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. Along the way Dorothy encounters Glinda the good witch, as well as the Munchkins of Munchkinland, and crosses paths with the Wicked Witch of the West.

But of course, you already know all this because The Wizard of Oz is THAT famous. It is often referred to as the most viewed movie in film history, it regularly pops up on television, and you will have watched it at some point in your life.

Not watched The Wizard of Oz in a while? Well, now is a good time to re-familiarise yourself with the movie, as well as all the magical songs including ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’, ‘If I Only Had a Brain/Heart/The Nerve’, and ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’.

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Journey Back to Oz (1972)

Next up is the animated musical fantasy, Journey Back to Oz. Directed by Hal Sutherland, the movie is loosely based on L. Frank Baum’s second book, The Marvelous Land of Oz, and sees Dorothy and her dog Toto return to Oz, where they encounter characters such as Pumpkinhead and Mombi, as well as old friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion.

If you’re a film-watcher of a certain age, you’ll be a bit more familiar with Journey Back to Oz than the younger crowd, because there was a period in time during the 1970s & 1980s when the movie was in regular rotation on television. In fact, TV is where this film ultimately found its audience, after struggling at the box office upon its initial release.

Nowadays it is harder to come by, although, not impossible. You just need to search for it.

Anyway, the voice cast of Journey Back to Oz includes Mickey Rooney, Danny Thomas, Milton Berle, Paul Lynde, Ethel Merman, Don Messick, and Herschel Bernardi. Meanwhile, Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz) voices Aunt Em, while Liza Minnelli (daughter of Judy Garland) voices Dorothy.

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Return to Oz (1985)

And now for something quite dark – Disney’s 1985 children’s fantasy, Return to Oz. And yes, you read that correctly, the above sentence does include the words ‘dark’, ‘Disney’, and ‘children’s fantasy’.

If you’re a child of the 1980s and you grew up watching Return to Oz, you’ll understand completely. Based on Baum’s books, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz, the movie isn’t for the faint hearted and at times is genuinely unnerving.

However, Return to Oz is also a brilliant movie featuring a cast which includes Fairuza Balk, Jean Marsh, and Emma Ridley. It’s the sort of movie that doesn’t really get made so much anymore – mostly because it would scare the living daylights out of a young audience.

As for the story, well as the title suggests, Return to Oz sees Dorothy travel back to Oz to discover it has been overtaken by the Nome King and his accomplice, the head-swapping Princess Mombi. In order to save the day and return home, Dorothy has to team up with pals, Tik-Tok, Billina, Jack Pumpkinhead, and the Gump.

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The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)

This next film requires very little explanation, because the title pretty much covers it. However, for those still unsure, The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz is a musical adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, only with the Muppets playing most of the characters.

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie, and Animal appear alongside many of their friends, while Queen Latifah, Jeffrey Tambor, David Alan Grier, and Quentin Tarantino make up the human cast. Ashanti plays the role of Dorothy Gale, while Kirk R. Thatcher directs.

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Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

While Dorothy is a key figure of the previous movies on this list, the young Miss Gale sits out this next adventure, which instead focuses its attention on Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, aka the Wizard of Oz. In short: Oz the Great and Powerful is a prequel set before the events of The Wizard of Oz, with the Wizard himself being the main character.

James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, and Joey King feature amongst the cast, while Sam Raimi directs. Meanwhile, the film includes characters such as Theodora, Evanora, China Girl, and Finley the winged monkey.

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Wicked (2024)

And finally, in director Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, the focus switches to the on-off relationship between friends-turned-enemies, Galinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp. If those names aren’t familiar, then perhaps Glinda and The Wicked Witch of the West would suit better.

The two characters form the centre piece of this musical fantasy, which is based on the stage show of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The film is largely set before the events of The Wizard of Oz, and includes hit songs such as ‘Popular’ and ‘Defying Gravity’.