The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) 5.2
This version of The Wizard of Oz is played by the Muppets! Director:Kirk R. Thatcher |
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The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) 5.2
This version of The Wizard of Oz is played by the Muppets! Director:Kirk R. Thatcher |
|
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Ashanti | ... | ||
| Jeffrey Tambor | ... | ||
| Quentin Tarantino | ... |
Himself
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| David Alan Grier | ... | ||
| Queen Latifah | ... | ||
| Steve Whitmire | ... | ||
| Dave Goelz | ... | ||
| Bill Barretta | ... | ||
| Eric Jacobson | ... | ||
| Brian Henson | ... |
Crazy Harry /
Sal Manilla
(voice)
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| Kevin Clash | ... |
Clifford
(voice)
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John Kennedy | ... |
Angel Marie /
Floyd
(voice)
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Rickey Boyd | ... |
Scooter /
Very Old Tom
(voice)
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| Tyler Bunch | ... | ||
| Julianne Buescher | ... |
Muppet Performer
(voice) (as Julianne Buscher)
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Dorothy Gale lives with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry in a trailer park in Kansas. Dorothy has dreams of becoming a famous singer, but when a tornado hits Kansas and Dorothy rushes to save Toto, her prawn (she couldn't afford a dog), she is whisked away to Oz where she meets the four witches (all played by Miss Piggy) and the Munchkins of Oz (the rats). On her way to see the Wizard, she meets the Scarecrow (Kermit), the Tin Thing (Gonzo), and the Cowardly Lion (Fozzie) who all wish to have something given by the wizard. On their way to Emerald City, they are captured by the Wicked Witch of the West (of course, Miss Piggy) and her flying monkeys (other muppets). When they finally make it back to Emerald City, the Wizard is really a man from Hollywood. But he "grants" their wishes, but what they wanted they already had inside (there's a lesson there). When Dorothy finally is back in Kansas, she becomes what she had wanted, a famous singer and on the Muppets Star Search show. Written by Chris Hunter <DrEvilGuy200>
What a disappointment! Though I will say that there are some redeeming qualities. Ashanti does give a very spirited performance in the title role as Dorothy, with a lovely singing voice, but it is one of the weaker interpretations of the character, the weakest being Diana Ross in the Wiz. If you want a wonderful characterisation of Dorothy, try Judy Garland or Fairuza Balk. I liked some of the contributions from Gonzo, Kermit and Miss Piggy especially,(I did like the Muppet's spoof on Ride of the Valkyries) but all of them have given better performances. There is also some nice scenery and costumes. Unfortunately the film is undermined by some very mediocre songs, and the script just wasn't funny, apart from the witch's line "I'll get you my pretty, and your little prawn too". Other than that, the jokes were contrived and overdone, and the film didn't have any of the magic of the original story. I agree with other commentators that it was an attempt to make the Muppets more contemporary, and because of the overall mediocrity of the film, it just didn't work. I absolutely love the Muppets, and I love most of their movies, especially Christmas Carol and Treasure Island, not to mention the surprisingly good Great Muppet Caper. But basically, Muppets Wizard Of Oz doesn't make the grade, some of it was very painful to watch, especially Quentin Tarantino's completely useless cameo, so I will give it a 3/10 for the Muppets. Bethany Cox.