We wrap up our summer-long celebration of the films of 1985 with this week’s Create-A-Caption, inspired by Disney’s hugely inventive — and controversial — sequel Return to Oz. Upon its initial release, the film was criticized for its very existence — with many people annoyed at the audacity of the studio to even try to make a sequel to a film as beloved as The Wizard of Oz. (Even though it was inspired by Oz-creator L. Frank Baum‘s own stories as opposed to the 1939 film adaptation). There was also an outcry about Return to Oz‘s dark storytelling, complaints that were especially head-scratching considering how many troubling moments were in its predecessor.
In the 35 years since it first landed in theaters, the film has gone from being an unsettling box office disappointment to a well-regarded cult classic that explores issues of childhood trauma. Although seemingly simplistic, the story of Dorothy (now played by Fairuza Balk) returning to Oz to help rid its citizens from the evil Nome King and Princess Mombi with the assistance of new friends Jack Pumpkinhead, clockwork man Tik-Tok and Billina the talking hen, is packed with subtle nuance, resulting in a non-musical fantasy that is deeper than it was initially given credit for.
We’ve taken a still from the film and given it a comedic comment. Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the comments, and do the same there.
