I have always valued my lifelessness.
After hearing the cautionary talk around Return to Oz and taking two edibles I wasn't sure I was ready for the psychedelic children's film. I had heard it was corny yet surreally creepy. This was entirely true but I found it to be an absolutely enjoyable experience.
The story takes place 6 months after Dorothy's first visit to Oz and those 19th century doctors just don't understand a child's imagination. The film takes a dark turn after she's omitted to a terrifying children's hospital where they attempt to do ELECTRIC SHOCK THERAPY on her. She escapes and finds herself washed up in Oz again except everything that was once bright and fun now wants to kill her. With the help of some cute and zany characters, it's up to her to stop the evil king behind Oz's deformation and rescue her old friends.
The new and darker Oz does not disappoint. It's cold and dense with remnants of all the iconic locations like the yellow brick road. The new enemies called "The Wheelers" are especially creepy and come off as a more kid friendly version of the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange. But by far the creepiest addition is the queen with multiple heads. The entire scene with her had me on the edge of my seat. The set design of her lair is brilliant as well as many of the other locations. The effects are hit or miss but always creative and really just added to the nostalgia.
The benefit of watching this high is mainly that it gets you past some of the more childish aspects of the film. The way all the characters talk is written and spoken for a fourth grader to understand. This choice juxtaposed to the frightening imagery actually made the film creepier for me. I found it very enjoyable and would have gladly allowed it to traumatize me as a kid.
Critical Consensus: 7/10
High Factor 9/10
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