The Wiz

So much wit and talent and energy crowd the screen in this lavishly filmed variant of the Oz story that it is depressing to realize that the production never had a chance.

Director Sidney Lumet has created what amounts to a love letter to the city of New York, which he equates with Oz.

It's good that the Scarecrow is the first traveling companion she meets; Michael Jackson fills the role with humor and warmth.

If you can take it just as an occasion for the exercise of some real talents, a good time can be had much of the time.

Sidney Lumet's spectacular, joyous production of The Wiz generates a mood of wonder and sentimental rapture recalling the arrival of the Mother Ship in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

On the plus side are vast, brilliant sets by Tony Walton, a couple of well-staged show-stoppers, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and Diana Ross who, as Dorothy, is just gorgeous.

The Wiz's retelling of The Wizard of Oz is certainly ambitious, but the game performances of its star-studded cast are let down by lifeless direction.

The reimagining of The Wiz positions itself as a classic in its own right. Emotion holds through memorable set pieces and legendary performances.

…it’s the dirty-glitter staging, not the show that’s the problem, not helped by Lumet shooting all the musical sequences from such an extreme distance that we can rarely see the cast’s faces…

Whether you love or hate this movie, there is no denying how memorable it truly is and how impactful it has been on the culture of Oz enthusiasts and Black cinema, alike.