Review of The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

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.