Search - The Emerald City of Oz on DVD

Donna E. from RADFORD, VA
Reviewed on 8/31/2008...

Children really enjoy this. However, parents who remember reading the Oz stories tend to wonder where they got the story line for this.

Emerald Chambers, Coronations, Invasions and Rescues

Sam A. Milazzo | Sydney, N.S.W Australia | 11/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The opening song to this 4th & final Cinar/Lightyear Entertainment version of Oz is "Land of Feelings". Despite Kaliko's distraction intentions, the Nome King is upset and furious at Dorothy and her friends for defeating and escaping his power before and he seeks REVENGE!! Meanwhile, Dorothy is in Oz (in this twist she has not returned to Kansas yet) and with Scarecrow's help has been chasing Ozma around the Emerald City (* up a tree and along a river *), which takes them into a Secret Chamber. Even in the darkness, Ozma discovers a door which reveals to them the Heart of the Emerald City and the History of Oz, proving to Ozma that she must prepare a coronation to be Queen of Oz. Back at the Underground Kingdom of the Nomes, an Invasion Specialist named Guph suggests that in order to conquer Dorothy & the Emerald City they must make an underground tunnel which will take them to Oz. Along with Guph's Giant Dirt-Devouring Worm, the Nomes make the tunnel and pass underneath the 'Deadly' Desert (* A Deleted Scene I remembered well: In the meantime, Scarecrow discovers a small box in the Wizard's Chamber which transports Dorothy and Ozma into a world where they meet Miss Cuttenclip the Paper Queen and Mr. Fuddles the Puzzle Man who creates a door which returns the girls back to Oz . As everybody gets everything ready *) Dorothy and Ozma practise her magic powers by making a Giant Paper Bird come to life, so that they can ride it in the sky whenever they wish. Knowing the Nomes' fear and weakness, Guph also enlists the help of a Growleywog to ensure their victory. Practising for the Coronation, Ozma's magic reveals where to find the Fountain of the Water of Oblivion, an important part of the Coronation. Growleywog emerges in the West and starts devouring areas of the country. The terrified Winkies tell their King the Tin Woodman of the monster, and Dorothy also learns of the news. As the Tin Woodman battles Growleywog, Dorothy burrows the Magic Bird and tries to solve the problem without ruining any plans for Ozma. Underground, the Worm's failed attempt to go any further into Oz gets Guph and Nome King into an arguement-fight (funny!). (* Nome King & his Army attempt to charge Emerald City, but Scarecrow's wondering of where and looking for Dorothy forces them back into the tunnel. *) After Dorothy manages to find the Winkie Timsmith (*who first appeared and fixed the Tin Woodman in 'Wonderful Wizard'*) to help her rescue Tin Woodman from the Growleywog, Guph sneaks into the Emerald City, going along the many stairs and doors (also very funny!) only to lose his memory in the Palace. Dorothy meets a pleasant Guph the next morning and the Nome King is worried. Ozma's Coronation is a success - despite Dorothy's exhaustion - and afterwards Tin Woodman talks to Ozma, Lion and Scarecrow on how to deal with the monster/Growleywog, who at that time is rejoined by the Nomes. That night, Growleywog leads the Nomes in invading the Emerald City. As Tin Woodman thwarts some of the Nomes, Scarecrow tells Dorothy his plan for a rescue. The friends do their best in scaring (* and attacking *) the Nomes with eggs (*while Lion watches over Ozma in her room *), but their attempts are foiled and all seems lost for Dorothy and Scarecrpow, but a voice comforts Dorothy, promising that all will be well . . . . the next morning everybody is imprisoned by the Nome King and Dorothy wakes up to find herself alone in the Emearld City with the Growleywog and Guph, who has regained his memeory but still protects her. Ozma uses her magic to save her people and trick the Nome King and his followers into defeat. Back in Oz, Glinda appears and congratulates Ozma on a job well done as the Nomes, Growlewog and Worm return home. For Dorothy, it is now time for her to go back home to Kansas, but this won't be the last time she'll see Oz and her friends, because Ozma has the magic and power to do so. Saying good-bye to her friends, Dorothy returns to Kansas, knowing she can return when she pleases to the magical Land of Oz . . . Once again the End Credits play "Searching for a Dream" as clips from 'Marvelous Land', 'Ozma' and 'Emerald City' play.
And that's the end of Cinar's 1987 animated Oz adventures. Out of the entire 52 episodes, 'Emerald City' took up the remaining 11. Readers of the Original Book will be well aware that Dorothy and Toto along with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry come and live in Oz from this moment on, but either way even though this Dorothy is back in Kansas, she will still have adventures in Oz. Sometimes I've imagined what it would've been like had Cinar animated 'Dorothy & the Wizard' and 'Road', and I also would've been interested to see how they would've attempted other Oz books like 'Patchwork Girl', etc. The Japanese and English versions of 'EC' are different, so if you've only read my review and don't have any of the Videos or DVDs (which despite many flaws, are still pretty good to watch), should expect a few scenes to be earlier or later.
Near the end of the original 'Ozma' book Baum writes "Dorothy passed several very happy weeks in the Land of Oz as the guest of the royal Ozma" - in this Cinar production those 'several very happy weeks' turn into avoiding the Wizard's return to Oz, the Journey from Kansas to Oz for Ozma's birthday and Uncle Henry's money trouble (which made the move to Oz) from the books and straight onto Nome King's revenge, which unlike the book actually succeeded for some of the time/was taken a step further. Since the original books have the Nomes all illustrated fat bodies with skinny arms & legs, Guph looks like a small Chinese man with long whiskers (in Ruth Plumly Thompson's "Royal Book of Oz") and the Growleywog, intead of an army of tall skinny but strong mailicious-looking men, Cinar designs him as one big fat growling monster looking a little bit similar to Superman's Parasite, along with devouring things by sucking air in. Ozma, unlike her previous appearances, finally wears a gown during her Coronation scene.
Even though I rated 5 *s, there are a few things that didn't really please me (as well as puzzle me too). Jack Pumpkinhead and Saw-Horse have been neglected to appear (they should've appeared in this adventure! Saw-Horse in 'Ozma' too - Cinar's Tik-Tok and Billina stay in Ev instead, neighbour country to Oz), and although exciting, the scene where Growleywog sneak attacks Dorothy & Scarecrow is somewhat disturbing and I'm not too keen on the Growleywog and Dorothy scenes. Also, after Tin Woodman punches Growleywog, he eventually gets tired and pants - THIS HE CAN'T DO!! A Deleted Scene/episode/sceanrio from 'Wonderful Wizard' even had him sleeping while Mombi tried to steal the Golden Cap from Dorothy! I expected, and would have loved, to see an extra (uncut) scene between the enemies' defeat and the Throne Room (before Glinda appears) where we actually saw everything put right. The Japanese version (which can be purcahsed at YesAsia) has two more dissapointments and puzzlings: the music that ends the episode sounds a bit too sad and the close-up on Dorothy: in English her hair sways before Kansas appears, BUT in Japanese, her hair stays still!?!? Also, the English version should've had Dorothy say she misses Toto " . . . and I still have the Magic Shoes in Kansas." and have Ozma & Glinda (not just her 3 main friends) say Good-bye & Thank you etc. to Dorothy as she returned home. However, there are also some funny bits other than just the 'Fight in the Tunnel' and 'Guph in Emerald City' scenes: When Tin Woodman talks about how to trap Growleywog, Lion says "Hey Tin Man, you're on the ball!" I found that SO FUNNY!! Lion sounded like it was the 60s, Groovy baby!!
And once agin, despite the mistakes and much editing, 'the Emerald City of Oz' is enjoyable to watch (more so than 'Ozma') and is one of the great endings to Oz (along with the short animated musical 'Dorothy in the Land of Oz' Thanksgiving Special)."

The perfect ending

Greg Tutt | England | 03/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say? the emerald city of oz was just as good as the 1st! Ozma's magickal powers were so much fun to enjoy and the characters were just as fun as they have always been. It was great to see the good witch of the south make a brief appearence again. Glinda's so cool, good and powerful. I wish Cinar could of made more movies of Oz! They were all great and FANTASTIC!"