I absolutely love this movie. I remember watching it when I was a kid and being absolutely emersed in the film. You see, the first movie I ever remember seeing on the big screen was "The Wizard of Oz". Yes, it was re-release in '76 at the cinema down the road. And to see the same story recreated opened my mind to tolerance of a story, a classic story, retold in a different way. I am always amazed to read or hear "Wizard" fans put it down, when they should embrace it as the same story told in a modern way. They obviously have no tolerance of things different. Hope they dont hear or see "Wicked"??

I always thought it would be cool if this movie was remade with every new generation's afro-american superstars. For example: In 2005 Dorothy would be Beyonce. The Scarcrow could be Usher.

Hi I've watched the Wiz on stage, man it was fantastic and so is the film, I would love to read the script if anyone could tell me where to get it [...]

Being AfricanAmerican I grew up on this movie. Theres barely any of my friends who i know who hasnt seen this movie growing up and didnt like it.
People complian abou the scenery. It was what the 1970s? it was made? That how things looked back then. what do you expect.
People complain bou the way the characters looked. Its an adaption of the original Wizard of Oz to better suit the black community i believe.

I loved that movie when i was 5 and younger and i still love it at the age of 18. And the puppet master in teh subway station still gives me the creeps.

I think the dancing and singing is wonderful in this movie. My fav is when dorothy first gets to Oz. and all the kids come off the walls. and when everyone sings Brand new day. Hell.... i like all the songs... i could sit here forever saying what i liked.

I only disliked Diane Ross as dorothy because of her age. I think she was way to old to play dorothy. But she still did a good job.

I kinda wish they would remake The Wiz Now and have new artist in there. Like Usher for the Tin man. Tamyra Gray as dorothy.That would be great.

( *I hope I haven't anyone buy the title, it's all I could come up with* ). I first saw "the Wiz" as a very young boy (somewhere around 5-8 in year 1 or 2) in Primary School, which had been taped by a teacher when it premiered on TV. I had already seen "Return to Oz" and "the Wizard of Oz" on its 50th Anniversary both on TV. I ordered this DVD for my 20th Birthday (it came a week after that, however) and watching it was so exciting. I really enjoyed the movie and DVD and the songs (alomost all of them) were fantastic. Many farmiliar parts of the story have new twists, like Glinda and the Wizard being seen earlier than the original story says, and the Yellow Brick Road appearing AFTER the Scarecrow. Of course, there were a few similarities between this Universal version and the MGM version, but only by conicidence. I also read the script of "the Wiz" 1975 Broadway Musical on a site ( * I can't put it down here because Amazon.com will just take it off leaving a (. . . ) *) before I saw the movie on DVD.
THE MOVIE STORY: Dorothy, Toto, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry live in New York City, receiving the rest of the family to celebrate the birth of Aunt Em's daughter's baby - Dorothy feels excluded and is extremely shy. ( *Even though a lot of people hate Diana Ross as Dorothy, I think that it was good of her to play Dorothy because it's a new twist and some people can relate to Dorothy in this version, afraid to step out into the world and make a big change in her life *). Aunt Em goes about how Dorothy has to find a place for her and Toto. (This next scene I LOVE!!) After that, Toto runs outside into the swirling blizzard storm and Dorothy chases after him, resulting with them being caught up by a tornado (which has a new twist itself), and crash landing into a place where the Munchkins (finally in their originally described blue outfit) thank her for killing Evermean, the Wicked witch of the East. Miss One (the Good Witch from the North) appears and thanks her also, gives her the Silver Shoes (about time they were SILVER!!) and says that the only way to get home is to The Wiz in the Emerald City by following the Yellow Brick Road ("EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD" is such a GREAT song that you'll want to sing along with the subtitles available). Dorothy saves the Scarecrow and with his help, company and companionship, find the Yellow Brick Road and follow it until they meet the TinMan and the Cowardly Lion (who has a name for the first time). But afterwards, they get attacked (in a subway) by a strange man and many subway monsters, just before Dorothy, Toto and the Lion get put to sleep by the Poisonous Poppies. After that, they finally arrive at the Emerald City (*the Big Green Apple, displaying a funny pun *) and manage in seeing the Wiz, but of course they can't get what they want unless they kill Evillene, the Wicked witch in the West, who sends Flying Monkeys to capture them. Her attempt to take back the Silver Shoes fails, and Dorothy defeats her, freeing the Winkies (whose true col,our is yellow after taking off their slave clothes) and returning to the Emerald City, only to make a very disappointing discovery. But even so, dorothy realizes that her friends had what they wanted all the time, and that's when Glinda, the Good Witch of the South appears, telling Dorothy that she can go home. Saying good-bye to her friends and singing about 'Home', she and Toto return home, and the movie end credits play "Ease on Down the Road", ending the movie after 2 hrs 15 minutes.
The DVD also comes with excellent Special Features such as a 16 min "Wiz on Down the Road" 'Making of' featurette on the Movie, Production Notes (which gives a good reason to understand Diana Ross as Dorothy), Biographies and Film Highlights of the Actors and Director, Theatrical Trailer and a Web Link to Universal.
However, even for me the movie takes a little too long and the movie could've been made shorter by cutting a few songs either out altogether or shorter, as most dance sequences go on too long and a scene could've be put in at a different place (like the Winkies taking off their slave clothes), allowing the DVD to have a 'Deleted Scenes' feature and the ending could've been better, like Dorothy and Toto going through the swirl again on their way home. Richard Pryor plays the Wiz, who later played Gus in "Superman 3". The songs in this movie which didn't exist in the 1975 version are 'You Can't Win', (I think 'Can I Go On Not Knowing?') and 'Brand New Day' (which was performed in my High School's 2000 Jubilee).
(* THE FOLLOWING IS QUOTED FROM "THE ANNOTATED WIZARD OF OZ, pg 69*) "In her "Secrets of a Sparrow" book, Diana Ross argued that each of her 3 companions signifies a different aspect of dorothy's essence: 1) the Scarecrow was a representation of Doorthy's hunger for knowledge, the part of her that longed to know more about life and living. 2) the TinMan personified Dorothy's craving for love, the search for her heart, the deep need in her (in all of us, for that matter) to increase her capacity to give and to receive love. 3) And the Lion, the supposedly mean old lion, was uet another part of Dorothy's psyche. His loud and aggressive roars, designed to distance people by projecting fear and rage into their hearts, was merely a cover-up of his own fears and rage, an armoring to protect the sweetness and vulnerability of his, and of course Dorothy's, gentle heart".
I have made a review about this Wiz DVD, and i have 2 more pland for "the Wiz": 1) Send a letter to Universal Studios on making a "30th Anniversary Edition" DVD for 2008, and for me to do another movie remake combining the movie and stage for 2035, with a sequel to follow afterwards.
It was a pleasure to have written this review, and see you on my next review - what will it be? We'll see.