The Wizard of Oz (1982)

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This is a very good adaption of L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". While the 1939 movie is pretty much unforgettable, it is not the most faithful to the book. This version, on the other hand, is.The animations may not be the greatest, but it is pretty decent for an anime from the early 80s. The character designs were not bad at all, and they seem to be based of of some of the illustrations from the later Oz books.The voice acting is also pretty good. Aileen Quinn is no Judy Garland, but she does do a good job of capturing the original character, and Elizabeth Hanna is perfect for the brief role of the Wicked Witch of the West.All in all, I'll give this movie a nine out of ten, and I highly recommend this version if you are a fan of the book and was disappointed by how much the 1939 movie strayed from the book.

This has to be my favourite adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that I have seen so far. For all the people that want an accurate adaptation of the book then this is it. Provided that this also has it's problems.The animation could have been a lot better. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman look like something I could have drawn (and I'm a terrible artist). Then while watching you get the distinct impression that this movie is more for children rather than the whole family (which was Baum's intention for the novels).I did enjoy this movie for everything else though. Although the voice acting could have been a little bit better this is still good in other departments as well. I did like the scene with the Kalidah mainly because of the animators interpretation on Baum's imagination.So if you are a fan of the books or want to see an adaptation closer to the books than the 1939 movie (although I would like to emphasise the fact that this is a rather corny interpretation) then pick this up.

This movie may not be the greatest quality you will find in cartoons, but to me it's a gem! I watched this movie for the first time when I was 3 or 4, and continued to watch it about once every two months until I was about 9. After losing track of it for thirteen years I finally found a copy and watched it again. I have to say, even now when I am "all grown up" I still find this movie charming! I would recommend this movie to any parent with small kids. As a child, I remember being very excited by all the magic and mystery - and of course the excitement of fighting the Wicked Witch of the West. And of course there's a lot about friendship and loyalty in the story. If you want to get your kid really into fantasy/adventure stories, this version of Wizard of Oz is a good investment. Copies are hard to find nowadays because it's a very obscure, little-known cartoon, but they do exist. Personally, I'm going to try to keep my VHS copy in reasonably good condition until I have kids of my own in a few years!

As a fan of the original book i recommend this film. I'm not a big fan of the character art work but its great to see sections of the book explored that are ignored in the 1939 movie.The film takes on a pleasing dark tone in all the right places and can create quite an atmosphere. especially in the witch's castle. i love they way she is animatedannoyingly they have given Dorothy red shoes although they only refer to them as magic slippers, the actual design (with curly up toes) is pleasing but i wish they were silver. Also the munchkin houses are drawn much in the same way as in the JR Neil drawings and the munchkins themselves resemble the Denslow originals.