Davis P The Wiz is a 1978 Africa American adaptation of the 1939 classic film, the Wizard of Oz. It stars Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Richard Pryor. The musical numbers are very catchy and well choreographed. I really liked Diana Ross, she has a beautiful voice and was really suited for the role, my one and only complaint about Diana Ross was that a few times I felt like she was a little too wimpy, I just felt like a few times she went a little overboard with that persona. Michael Jackson was perfect as the Scarecrow! No complaints at all for him. I also loved the sets and style the movie possessed! Everything seemed so colorful and unique. The urban/modern setting was also neat to see. I think this movie would be a good choice for family movie night, there's really just one scene that might be objectionable to families, and that's when the people are freed and they emerge from their ugly rags and are in white cloths resembling underwear. Other then that, I would definitely recommend this to a family audience. My only other complaint, is I feel like the musical number in the city of Oz was a little too long and drug on a bit longer than it should have. 7/10

Jayme96 I had to vote it a 1, but if I could've, I would've given it a zero or negative rating. I just watched it on HBO and I was intrigued to see a Michael Jackson and Diana Ross version of the Wizard of Oz, since I'm a fan of their music. The original movie is one I grew up with and have seen many times, and is a timeless classic, even though it is ancient. I had also seen the latest movie Oz, in the movie theaters, and while nowhere near as good as the original movie, it was at least interesting. This one? Horrific. Terrible acting. Terrible costumes. Terrible music. There was not one single redeeming quality about this movie it was so bad. I think the only possible way this movie could have gotten any positive reviews was black people simply liking it because it was all black. The downgrade in acting by every single character, relative to the original, was mind boggling. Save yourself the time and if you bothered to DVR it, delete it.

dmanyc The first time I saw THE WIZ was when in first aired on TV back in the '80s. I was still a kid with a curfew, but luckily it was a Saturday, but at least I got to see it. I've seen the original THE WIZARD OF OZ more times than I can keep track, but this version always felt more relatable to be because I grew up in the Bronx in the '70s and '80s, and I remember those days of abandoned lots and practically every subway and building spray-painted with graffiti. But at least I was more mature and adventurous than this 24-year old Dorothy who lives like a teenager and has the emotional maturity of a preteen. Seriously, if her family was sheltering her, I can understand but apparently even her family want her to go out and experience life for a change. Just not in the middle of a Thanksgiving snowstorm in Harlem.I don't think Diana Ross was that bad, but I do feel that the role of Dorothy should've gone to someone much younger like a teenager. But then again, Judy Garland was also too old when she played Dorothy in 1939, and it didn't seem as drastic. To go from a young teenager to a 24 year old schoolteacher is a huge leap. Also, with all the beautiful costumes in the film, why give Dorothy the most bland lavender dress to wear? Even Judy looked cute in gingham.The thing that bothered me the most about the movie was the ending. After over two hours, you want the ending to be satisfying, especially after hearing the song "Home", but no, we just get Dorothy and Toto going back to their apartment. No seeing her family again. Nothing. Such a letdown.It's not a perfect adaptation, but you can tell there are fixable flaws to this still watchable film.

JasparLamarCrabb An overstuffed movie musical and a major blunder by the great Sidney Lumet. This urbanized version of THE WIZARD OF OZ stars a far too old Diana Ross as Dorothy, an inner city school teacher whisked off to a very late 1970s fantasy land (which looks like a disco-fied Manhattan)...she encounters a scarecrow (Michael Jackson), a lion (Ted Ross) and a tin man (Nipsey Russell). There's very little fantasy in this monstrosity and what should have been an enjoyable experience is in fact a lumbering bore. Ross, who proved her acting mettle with LADY SINGS THE BLUES is miscast to the point of distraction. This pretty much ended her movie career. The usually enjoyable Richard Pryor plays "the Wiz" as a bumbling fool. Nevertheless, the film is not without merit. A big plus is a couple of the musical numbers. Michael Jackson is dynamite as the scarecrow and as "Evillene", Mabel King performs the show-stopping "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News." The stunning cinematography by Oswald Morris earned an Oscar nomination.