The Wiz1978
The Wiz (1978)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: This workmanlike movie musical lacks the electricity of the stage version (and its cinematic inspiration), but it's bolstered by strong performances by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
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Movie Info
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Cast
as Dorothy
as Scarecrow
as Tinman
as Glinda
as Lion
as Evillene
as Aunt Em
as Miss One
as The Wiz
as Uncle Henry
as Head Winkie
as Cheetah
as Rolls Royce Lady
as Green Lady
as Crow
as Subway Peddler
as Crow
as Crow
as Crow
as Gold Footman
as Gold Footman
as Green Footman
as Green Footman
as Aunt Em's Party
as Munchkin #1
as Munchkin #2
as Munchkin #3
as Munchkin #4
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
as Aunt Emma's Party Guest
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Critic Reviews for The Wiz
All Critics (34) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (20) | DVD (1)
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.
Audience Reviews for The Wiz
With the charm bringing by the stars and the director Lumet, The Wiz, isn't a film really good. Showing along the picture an expectable end and apparent offend the intelligence of the audience, just like the scenes where Scarecrow, desperate for a brain, clearly presents beautiful citations and most of the ideas, as like Tinman crying and want a heart and the coward Lion exhibit an great courage. Neither L. Frank Baum's novel and the 1939 version show to be so expectable. The screenplay by Joel Schumacher are weak, but in some moments presents criatives parts. The dog that make the character of Toto is terrible too with awful trained, Ross have a few good scenes, but her acting flaw too, Dorothy looks old and neurotic. The slowed and dramatic song perform by her leave the film boring and rotten, by the way the "Ease On Down the Road" sing by Dorothy and Scarecrow are very good, but very repeat. Another songs are nice, what better the movie, the same thing with the art direction, cinematograhy and costumes are perfect. Richard Pryor and Ted Ross presents a good actings too, for me the best in the picture. The Wiz is a nice movie, but could be much, much better. Anyway Sidney Lumet's version impress for his criative dark humor, some good songs, the all cast formed of black actors - another criative thing in this film -, the art direction and the hard attempt of Schumacher and Lumet on make an terrific movie, what unfortunately isn't, but this is for me a little cult piece of art with surrealism and smart minds. Rotten.
Super Reviewer
You're thinking: "they updated the original ... with an all black cast?!?" and you would be right. Surprisingly though this version offers competent take on by now hallowed material with engaging musical numbers and winning portrayals. There only one drawback really that keeps this one buried in the dustbin of forgotten films and that's Diana Ross' age. She's the elephant in the room, almost nearly talented enough to make you forget, but not quite enough. Misses it by that much.
Super Reviewer
Other than a few moments here and there, time has not been kind to this Motown spectacle.
Super Reviewer
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