The Wizard of Oz was a marvel for its time. It changed seamlessly from a dreary black and white Kansas landscape to a magical world exploding in Technicolor goodness upon Dorothy's arrival to Oz, something not previously seen before. Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) is a kind, young girl living on a farm in dusty rural Kansas, with her Auntie Em (Clara Blandick) and Uncle Henry (Charlie Grapewin). Her beloved dog, Toto, has caused mischief lately by ruining the gardens and biting the leg of a wealthy and cruel neighbor, Elmira Gulch (Margaret Hamilton), and Ms. Gulch is determined to see the dog destroyed. In a fit of panic, Dorothy runs away from home, but her timing is bad as a tornado is heading straight for the farmhouse. We all know the story by now. The farmhouse is swept up into the tornado and Dorothy is transported to the magical land of Oz, with her house landing on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her instantly and freeing the Munchkins from her fearsome rule.
Here, Dorothy meets Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke), along with the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) who swears revenge on the murderer of her sister. Unfortunately for Dorothy, the dead witch's magical ruby slippers have attached themselves to her feet and her sister wants them back! Glinda tells Dorothy that the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan), who lives in the gleaming Emerald City, is the only one who could help her, so she must "follow the yellow brick road" to get to the city and find a way back home.
Along the way, she meets a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) in need of a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) in need of a heart and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) in need of some courage. The three ban together to see the Wizard in the hopes of getting what they need. But nothing good comes easy - the Wizard tells them they must bring him the broom of the wicked witch in order for him to grant their wish, to prove their worth. When Dorothy is kidnapped by evil flying monkeys, pets of the wicked witch, her three friends, along with Toto, must make a daring rescue attempt at the witch's castle. They manage to save Dorothy and end up accidentally killing the witch at the same time, only to discover that the Wizard is just a mere man when they return with their prized broom. Things are never as they appear. However, the Wizard says he will bring Dorothy home on his hot air balloon, only she misses her flight when Toto jumps out and she goes after him. She soon finds out that all she has to do is to click her ruby red slippers together and chant "there's no place like home" to return to Kansas. When she awakens in her bed (back in black and white, of course), she finds herself surrounded by all those she loves the most. Auntie Em and Uncle Henry are there, along with the three farmhands, Hunk (Ray Bolger), Hickory (Jack Hale) and Zeke (Bert Lahr). She finds everything she was searching for was always right in her backyard.
Now personally, as a child growing up on this movie, I loved it. It was magical and I couldn't wait to see it again on Blu-ray perfection. However, watching it again as an adult, while it was still magical, I noticed that there really isn't any resolution to Dorothy's problem. Ms. Gulch is still going to have her dog put down, unless there's a missing deleted scene showing the farmhouse killing her - but alas, no such luck. It was still a joy to see this movie again and the remastered version is as crisp and clear as it can get. I will say this, everything looks really fake now that we can view it in high-def, but that's okay. The filmmakers did an amazing job with this film back in the day and to be able to marvel at the burlap on the Scarecrow's facial makeup or the rivets in the Tin Man's is truly amazing. Of course, the painted backdrops are all the more noticeable, but again, the effects in this movie were simply amazing for 1939. The sound was also nicely remastered in 5.1, but I must admit that nothing really made me jump as some of today's surround sound-infused movies can make me do.
Now, for those of you who are true Oz fans, The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition is the way to let your Oz fanboy flag fly high. Not only do you get an insane number of special features, but you also get a Wizard of Oz watch (with a green strap, of course), a 52-page Production History Book, Behind the Curtain, a reproduction of the original film budget, and a 1939 Campaign book. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a 6-hour documentary of MGM Studios called When the Lion Roars, hosted by Patrick Stewart. I thought it was a little cheesy, but for anyone studying the film industry, it would be really interesting. Among the special features are numerous featurettes on everything from how the special effects were accomplished, how the movie was remastered, a making-of, to featurettes on all of the actors and the director, Victor Fleming, as well as L. Frank Baum himself. Also included are a number of trailers, movie and production stills, radio pieces, home movies during production, original mono tracks, original silent Oz movies created by Baum himself, plus the 1990 film on the life of Baum starring John Ritter, The Dreamer of Oz. I found most of the featurettes to be incredibly informative and interesting and I learned so much that I never knew. Did you know that Buddy Ebsen (Beverly Hillbillies) was originally cast as the Tin Man, until he almost died from aluminum poisoning? Time for a make-up modification! Tidbits like this are woven all throughout the featurettes and this is must-see stuff for serious fans of the film.
All that being said and done, this truly is the Ultimate Collector's Edition for any true fan of the movie. Yes, seeing it in high-def initially takes you aback when everything looks so plastic and shiny when you first see it, but if you have a high-def setup, this is the version to have. It's got everything you could imagine and more.
