Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz Vol 2: Emerald City just released on DVD June 12th. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but Vol 1: We're Not In Kansas Anymore is darling!!!!
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz follows a very young Dorothy and friends on their adventures solving various Ozian dilemmas. The story lines and hijinks are pretty cute and they can teach valuable lessons. My very favorite episode so far is Toto Unleashed. Toto is dognapped and there is an attempt for force is love. Learning that love can not be coerced is very good life advice, but it's presented in such an cute way. This show is charming and adorable. It's already been renewed for Season 3.
They make frequent use of the original soundtrack music. It's hard for the heart to not pitter patter when the familiar strains we know and love kick in. The show also scores points for integrating more of L. Frank Baum's characters and situations into the MGM world.
As delighted as I am with the show, I do have some criticism. The name is a bit misleading as so far the Wizard himself is nowhere to be found. But it seems the Wizard is in the movie Boomerang debuted to kick off the new season on Memorial Day.
I understand WB is trying to market to children but L. Frank Baum's original novels were also written solely for children and he didn't feel a need to dumb down his characters. I am a bit dismayed that Ozma is such a flibbertigibbet whereas in the books she is regal and beautiful and wise. I don't like the name change from Scraps to Patches for the Patchwork Girl, though her appearance is just darling. I wish too, the Woozy's appearance was more in line with the books. I would have preferred Dorothy and little older and I'm not a fan of her voice. Minor nitpicks aside, there's a lot to enjoy. The characters and plot lines are engaging. Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz would be a good way to introduce young ones to Oz that might find The Wizard of Oz too scary.
My fingers are crossed we see some toys next year. The characters are just too cute not to be merchandised. WB gets big points for marketing Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz for younger children. Much of the current merchandise is geared toward the adult collector. It would be nice to see more for the younger set.
Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz Vol. 2: Emerald City just released on June 12th.
Visit the Boomerang site for games and clips.
http://www.boomeranghq.net/shows/dorothy-and-the-wizard-of-oz
