The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I saw The Witches of Oz--or Dorothy and The Witches of Oz, as it's come to be known recently--last year, and I LOVED it. I seem to be in the minority in my love for this film, but I found it to be quirky, deeply imaginative, and adorable. It appealed to the kid in me that still finds a dream in Oz...and also to my 23-year-old self, who still keeps Oz close to my heart! I've been an Oz fan ALL of my life (so I must admit I'm a tiny bit biased) but I really did wholeheartedly *appreciate* this movie. Everything you'd expect to be there is there. The quintessential foursome: CHECK. Good witch(es): CHECK. Bad witch(es): CHECK. Magical items: CHECK. And so much more! So much more is brought to the table, and it's fun getting to explore the ins and outs of the characters and the world of this film. The Witches of Oz may get a lot of flack, as far as reviews I've read on the internet and message boards, but I'm really opposed to looking at films simply as surface-pieces. I try to really appreciate time and effort, as well as the passion of actors and crew. The creative minds behind this cared enough to give nods to the books that I've never seen done in film before, so that was a delight to see. It warmed my heart, as a reader, that Baum's creations--however wackily or faithfully they may have been portrayed in this film--were alluded to, and given credit. The audience sees the Oz they thought they knew taken to a place that they may have subconsciously wanted to go, but films or other media just haven't gone before. Oz and its inhabitants were really portrayed in a new light, and I applaud them for such decisions...as well as the guts to go there! Paulie Rojas is undeniably adorable as Dorothy Gale. She personifies the innocence that is essential in Dorothy, but also shows a lot of strength. Ari Zagaris definitely deserves credit, as he brought a lot of quirkiness to Allen, while acting as a real anchor for Rojas's Dorothy. Their pairing was definitely believable, as a creative team, the minds behind the stories and images of Oz. It was good to see Mia Sara take on an evil role, and she added a certain bubbliness to hercharacter that was refreshing. Christopher Lloyd was perfect for this. He brought with him every ounce of his usual gusto and whimsy, and acted accordingly as The Wizard. I was really happy to see Billy Boyd as a normal guy--and with his natural accent, yay! Sean Astin and Ethan Embry were cute as Muckadoos, and it was good to see them both taking on more family-friendly roles, nonsensical though they were at times. I can't imagine the film without their mischievous little Muckadoos! Eliza Swenson gave a delightful performance as Billie (and her nefarious alter-ego--I'll let that be a surprise!). She was deliciously devilish in both turns, and she also deserves praise for her score-work! Brava, Eliza! Beautiful work. I have to praise the practical effects as well; rarely do you see such lengths gone to when CGI could compensate. It was refreshing to see old-fashioned makeup and costume take place of what could have easily been bad CGI-work. On that note, the CGI and computer work is pretty well done.. It's not shoddy, it's consistent. It's bright, beautiful and unflinchingly magical. The effects only help add to the illusion, and the suspension of disbelief that these events really could happen in our world. Leigh Scott is criticized quite a lot for his films, from my understanding, but this little film deserves more PRAISE. What I saw in The Witches of Oz was an attempt to achieve a very vivid, very important vision, and the success of working to create that vision. This film seemed to have a lot of heart in it. Clearly, the cast and crew cared a lot about the project. Everyone just seemed to lose themselves in it, and really have a lot of fun, cast and crew alike. In that respect, as an audience member, I couldn't have enjoyed it more. It may come across to some as campy or stupid to some, but I definitely enjoyed it. If you're looking for a story with a lot of fun, heart, all the magic of Oz and more, look no further!

There have been several attempts over the years to do a sequel, a spin off or totally redo The Wizard of Oz but none have come close to match the original classic, until now... This is a movie I think the original filmmakers and cast would be proud of... DOROTHY AND THE WITCHES OF OZ is that movie! It was written and directed by Leigh Scott, it's also an independent film which means there are no huge studios behind this special gem that could absolutely go up against any movie the studios are throwing at the multiplexes this weekend or any other weekend!The movie follows a grown Dorothy who now lives in New York City and writes children's books. She has a team that surrounds her, some you can tell are good and some you question. As the movie goes along she finds out her books are actually based on her repressed memories and she begins to remember all of the events that have happened, everything and everyone from her past to present day. This ultimately leads to a battle with the Wicked Witch of the West and her new army. All of this takes place in New York!Now, there are quite a few standouts in the movie so first up is the story, which to me there hasn't been a movie to even come close to the original Oz and Scott has pulled this off with an abundance of imagination! Next we have Eliza Swenson who portrays Billie Westbrook, Dorothy's agent. There is no way I'm going to spill too much on her character or any other but let's just say I was totally impressed by her performances. Now we get to some of the cast and there's really too many to mention so let's just get to Paulie Rojas who pulls off her character Dorothy to a perfection. I could tell she went back and watched the original or at least it comes across like she did with her mannerisms and how she interacts with others at times. Other standouts include Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey Combs, Barry Ratcliffe (who is fun to watch), Mia Sara (yes she is in this!), Billy Boyd, Sean Astin and Ethan Embry who play Frick and Frack. All of the acting is great and each one makes their characters their own in Dorothy and the Witches of Oz.Another major standout in the movie is Scott's camera and the special F/X which are all pulled off beautifully for an indie film. There is so much imagination and hard work that has been put into this movie and it all shows and pays off on screen! When you add these to the great cast and story and you top it off with some really cool background music/score, it just makes this movie something really special, dare I say a modern day classic? The right music/score always makes a scene better! Yes!Bottom line is, Dorothy and the Witches of Oz is an instant classic! It has a PG rating and clocks in at around 1 Hour 40 Minutes which is a good running time, not too short and not too long It's a movie for all ages and a project some studios could definitely take a few notes from! I have fallen in love with this movie!Review by Brian Shirley from Alien Bee

(This is for means and purposes my first review on anything so if it does not seem like one i apologize in advance)The Witches of Oz. I just watched it and i have to say, i enjoyed what i could. I absolutely adore new twists on old stories, if they are good that is. I admit the movie was a little bit shoddy, they could have spent more money to make it better. The special effects were small and not even that great, and I was shocked to learn that such beloved Actors/Actresses of my own were not as good as they could have been. The could have used their full potential but to me it seems as though they were either rushed or just did not care to make the movie at all. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I love that they brought in new characters, old characters, and that they changed the story up from the original film The wizard of Oz.I also have to say after watching the wizard of oz so many times over the years, i cannot stand to watch that movie, even though it is such a good story. Which makes me tend to love the story more when they do something new with it. Also i do hope they come out with the next one soon, i hate movies that just leave you hanging. Especially if bad reviews are the reason they do not continue the series.

First impressions: The visual effects won't blow you away. If you've seen the opening sequences of Dungeons & Dragons you know what I mean. Budget constraints, I suppose.Welcome to the Land of Exposition: Once upon a time there was a world full of magic. The pure at heart (conveniently colour coded for easy identification) were guardians of the greatest magic. But bad humans harnessed magic and sought to oppress everyone and steal allll the magic. And that's why we can't have nice things.Magical war ensues, and the world ended up looking like Mordor on a Thursday. The Munchkin wizard Bini Aru collected all the remaining magic and harnessed (more harnessing, yes) its power in a single spell, which he put in his spell-book. Then he created Oz, a sort of safari park for those hunted by humanity.The book is handed over to the Good Witches (blonde hair, GHD curling tongs, Maybelline loyalty card), and Bini Aru turns into a CGI butterfly. You will be seeing this butterfly again. Meanwhile, the witches of the East and West (wearing black and red this season, predictably brunette), are corrupted by their lust for the magic book and decide to wage war on Oz to get hold of it.The book, naturally, is the price to end the war, and the Wizard of Oz gives it to the witches, but the magical key that unlocks it is snatched by Dorothy, who... I have no idea. A solar flare kidnaps her, or something, and dumps her in Kansas.Five minutes in, and I'm so entrenched in the Realm of Backstory that it's rather a shock to be thrust into Kansas.Cue the actual story...Pacing is an issue as is a sense of plot progression. Things just happen. Someone suggested that this might had done better as a series of shorter episodes, and maybe that might have helped, or some serious trimming might have made the whole thing more coherent. There doesn't seem to be much structure to the story - Dorothy has a series of encounters in New York, but there's no real storytelling or impact here. All the key revelations take place in the margins, starting with the Oz backstory and ending with the letter from Uncle Henry, and much of what falls between seems like padding. The story Dorothy describes in the most recent book she's writing sounds so much more interesting than the actual plot that it's hard to believe that it's ostensibly the story that's meant to be taking place in front of our own eyes.The characters are another weak point. Clearly the writers did research the Oz stories. Bringing in Bini Aru, Princess Langwidere &c show that they looked beyond the usual protagonists, so credit where it's due. The problem here is that the characters aren't strong enough. Dorothy is sweet to the point of saccharine. She spends her first two minutes of screen time talking to the farm animals and reading Oz stories to little children before going to work at a sweet shop. I half expected to see animated bluebirds lighting on her shoulder all the while. Baum's Dorothy was always a little feisty, kind, but occasionally mutinous. This version seems the sort of person to whom things happen, when she should be happening to other people.Our Scarecrow/Lion/Tin Man trio this side of the rainbow are Allen and Bryan and Nick, oh my, and it's a huge shame that these three weren't given the chance to bond early on, because a strong relationship between these three could have made all the difference. We get hints at who they're meant to be - Allen is tactless and scatterbrained, Nick (Chopper) works in the minerals and metals industry, so I suppose he's 'in' tin, in a way, and he does pick up a child's teddy bear for them, so clearly he's got a heart, and Bryan... eats doughnuts. They're all likable enough and perhaps they'll redeem themselves in Part Two, but that really seems too late.The witches are... okay. I have a feeling that Eliza Swenson's character might come into her own later on, but in the first half she just doesn't have enough bite. There's no attempt to conceal her identity right from the start but she seems too measured. Nice, even. Given that Swenson also composed the score, edited, co-wrote and co-produced the film, I can only assume this is intentional. But, oh, for a more nefarious personality... Langwidere (yes, I know she's not a witch), doesn't help. None of her heads are exactly scene-stealers and that's a shame. For all the witches' dark deeds, someone who steals your HEAD and wears it for their own stands out as a really scary premise, but even when she's threatening to take Dorothy's there was no genuine sense of menace.Speaking of underused characters, Toto does nothing in most of the scenes he's in. As with all my previous observations, I can only hold out hope that he does more in Part Two - Toto has always been an active participant in the stories, not just a prop.This isn't something I'd buy on DVD, and I doubt I'll keep it on my Sky box after watching Part Two. Nor will I seek out the soundtrack, something I did immediately after watching Tin Man. The score isn't bad, but it's unmemorable, other than the overuse of sparkly chime bars lest we forgot there's MAGIC in this show.To sum up: it won't kill you to watch this muddled, ambling production, but it's unlikely to leave you feeling moved or enthused. Instead, I'd recommend breaking out Return to Oz (fun times with Etc), or Tin Man (Alan Cumming kicking people in the face), or just play "Defying Gravity" repeatedly until you can hear the secret message.I may be lying about the secret message.