Return to Oz

Dorothy (Balk) slips back into the dreamworld of Oz, where she finds a crumbling Yellow Brick Road and Oz itself deserted and desolate. In restoring order, she has to contend with the likes of the Nome King (Williamson), part-human, part-avalanche, and Princess Mombi (Marsh), a decapitation hobbyist with her eye on Dorothy's Christmas pudding of a head. Despite the presence of Billina the talking hen, the emphasis on insecurity and peril harks back to the treat-'em-rough days of children's fiction, and the disturbing/comforting ratio tilts conclusively towards the former. Some startling visuals (Will Vinton's Clay-mation effects) and streaks of gruesome whimsy will perhaps be best appreciated by grown-up sensibilities.