Fairuza Balk stars as Dorothy in "Return to Oz." (Courtesy photo)

'Return to Oz' darker, more fascinating that squeaky clean original (*** 1/2)

I'm fully prepared to take some flack for the following statement, but it must be said: "The Wizard of Oz" is the most overrated movie of all time. It's not really a bad film, but I've never understood why hundreds of millions of people hold it in such high regard. For many, it's not so much a movie as it is a sacred emblem of childhood, which should never be examined or have its greatness questioned, because hey, it's "The Wizard of Oz"! Apparently, it's beyond reproach.

In my view, it's witless and boring. Sure, the flying monkeys are kind of cool and Judy Garland's rendition of "Over the Rainbow" is indeed a stunner, but as a whole the movie never really gelled for me. For my money, its neglected sequel, "Return to Oz," was the richer, more compelling fantasy film. It's certainly darker, and as such it carries more of an old-world fairy tale vibe, which is sorely lacking in the squeaky-clean, brightly colored "Wizard of Oz."

"Return to Oz" takes place six months after the events of the first film. Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk) is still recovering from her ordeal with the tornado, and is suffering from insomnia. She can't stop thinking and talking about her friends from the magical land of Oz, and her behavior is worrying Auntie Em (Piper Laurie). Desperate, Dorothy's family enlists the services of a local doctor (Nicol Williamson) to help with Dorothy's apparent psychosis. His solution: electroshock therapy, of course!

Luckily, Dorothy is rescued from her fate by a mysterious girl who leads her back to Oz, which has been decimated by the power-hungry Nome King. With her old acquaintances out of commission, Dorothy must join forces with her new friends — including the clumsy Jack Pumpkinhead and noble robot Tik-Tok, not to mention a talking chicken — to defeat the Nome King and his minions, and restore Oz to its former glory.

As directed by Walter Murch (sadly, his only film), "Return to Oz" is one of the best-looking fantasy films I've ever seen. Gone is the bright Technicolor of Victor Fleming's Oz, replaced by a darker, more dangerous land that is more true to L. Frank Baum's original vision. In the original film, there was never really any sense of peril; even at her lowest, Garland's Dorothy always seemed in control of her surroundings. Here, as she is tormented by the demonic Wheelers and the evil witch Mombi (Jean Marsh), Dorothy comes across as more vulnerable — and, therefore, infinitely more interesting.

"Return to Oz" is rated PG for scary stuff.