The Wiz (1978)
Genre: Music / Family
Duration: 134 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Diana Ross, Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson
IMDb score:
5,6 (17.687)
Releasedate: 24 October 1978
The Wiz plot
"The wiz! The stars! The music! Wow!"
Shy kindergarten teacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) from Harlem finds herself in a dream world where she has to follow the yellow brick road. She is joined by a scarecrow in search of a brain, a tin man who also wants a heart, and a cowardly lion who so desperately wants to be brave. The film is an African American version of The Wizard of Oz.
Actors and actresses
Dorothy Gale
Scarecrow
Tinman
Lion / Fleetwood Coup de Ville
Aunt Em
Glinda the Good
The Wiz
Evillene
Miss One
Uncle Henry
Reviews & comments
RuudC
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- 4636 messages
- 2529 votes
Pretty cool for a musical actually. The Wiz is an extremely well-maintained product of its time. I wouldn't even have been surprised if this one wasn't from 1978, but 1988. Only Michael Jackson would have looked very different then. It's almost scary to see that thick (yes, made up) nose. I've never seen the original The Wizard Of Oz, but this African-American remake was fine. The decors were beautiful! Funnily enough, those empty cities were reminiscent of some random post-apocalyptic movie. Other than that, it's just a really fun kids movie. As is usual with musicals, the songs and dances mainly take the momentum out of the story. The performances were otherwise good, but the real value is of a nostalgic nature and unfortunately not of the originality.
Translated from Dutch · View original
tommykonijn
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- 5006 messages
- 2258 votes
Rewatched today after a long time. I don't know the story of the original film, although it seems to me to be slightly better based on footage and photos. I definitely find this version entertaining. Most of the actors in the film are not even actors so I think they did a pretty good job. Michael Jackson does a nice job of portraying his character as Scarecrow, and Diana Ross does it quite nicely too. The sets and atmosphere are stark, and surprisingly good for the time in which the film was made. I also liked the music, but not all songs caught on with me. "Brand New Day" definitely stands out. That is a nice swinging song. And the film then brings a fantastic atmosphere with it. It's just a pity that after this part the film collapses a bit and it becomes very long-winded. Also a bit disappointing that The Wiz itself turns out not to be like that, if you initially think. The real ending could have been a little more elaborate. Overall, I can't call it a good movie, but it's entertaining. The movie has a nice atmosphere and contains some nice scenes.
3*
Translated from Dutch · View original
K. V.
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- 4199 messages
- 3651 votes
I had already seen a few bits of this film when I was little, so time to dust it off again.
The film is similar in story to The Wizard of Oz, but rather in a different setting (a kind of New York).
This film also contains a lot of songs, some more successful than others. Especially "Ease on Down the Road" & "Brand New Day" stand out.
The cast didn't like it a bit. Dorothy (Diana Ross) was a bit too old for me (although of course she can sing great). Michael Jackson was well cast.
A very long film (especially for a family film), but it was not really disturbing.
I think The Wizard of Oz is better, but I certainly didn't think this one was bad either.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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