It may not beat the original Wizard of Oz, but it is ten times better than the first Tom and Jerry crossover with The Wizard of Oz.
The movie wouldn't be so good without Jason Alexander, who plays the evil Nome King that steals the movie a lot as what Jason Alexander did with Hugo in The Hunchback of Notre (1996),made 20 years early as another film that stars Jason Alexander and also pays homage to the late Mary Wickes (the live action model (not the voice) of Cruella De Vil and the voice of one of the puppies in 101 Dalmatians (1961)) who voiced one of Quasimodo's gargoyle friends, Laverne, as her last film since she died in production before the film's release. Speaking of a film paying homage to the deceased actor who died before the film being released, Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz pays homage to the late Joe Alasky who died in production after recording a lot of dialogues as the Wizard, Droopy, and Butch.
The music, songs, cast, animation, colors, and special effects were so well done.
I thought the story was decent because it doesn't always have to focus on Tom and Jerry. And you know why is because after Dorothy and Scarecrow are both captured by the Nome King, Jerry and the other mice soldiers saves the Tin Man from drowning and goes to the Emerald City while Tom went with Lion and Toto, who later met the Tiger of the Forest along with her animal colleagues and later catch up with the allies.
All the characters from The Wizard of Oz (including Dorothy) are also getting better character development and more screen time than in the first crossover movie between Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz so this film did balance the screen time between Tom and Jerry and the characters from the original 1939 movie
Despite Tom and Jerry having minimal screen time, the Jitterbug is also featured after being a deleted character from the Wizard of Oz. He's also dressed up as the Mask.
If it weren't for Jason Alexander, this film would not be so good to watch! With all the reasons I said and don't pay attention to the critics, this film really deserves to have better reviews than the first film.
Tom & Jerry: Back to Oz
2016
Action / Adventure / Animation / Comedy / Family / Fantasy / Musical
Tom & Jerry: Back to Oz
2016
Action / Adventure / Animation / Comedy / Family / Fantasy / Musical
Keywords: magicanimalanthropomorphismcartoonkids
Plot summary
With the Wicked Witch of the West now vanquished from Oz, Tom and Jerry along with Dorothy are back in Kansas! But not for long as an all-new villain has surfaced from beneath the magical land, the Gnome King! Having captured the Good Witch, the Gnome King and his army are wreaking havoc throughout Oz and need but one item to take control of The Emerald City, Dorothy's ruby slippers! It's up to our favorite cat and mouse duo to team up, go Back to Oz and save the land they love. Take to the skies, courtesy of the Wizard himself, with Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion as they make their magical journey. The laughs and adventure will roar as they encounter all-new frights and mischievous creatures down the Yellow Brick Road, 'cause "we're not in Kansas anymore!"
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Much better than the First Lame Crossover Film
Back To Oz? more like Lack Of Oz
Really loved the original Back To Oz but this? having heard of its existence i got exited so i decided to watch "Tom And Jerry And The Wizard Of Oz" and got heavily disappointed and bored. i was in no mood to watch this one but decided to do it because i didn't anything else better to do. Now before you say "oh you where in a bad mood that's why you didn't enjoy it" but i took that into consideration after i almost died watching this abomination, so after 3-4 days or so, after already have forgotten pretty much the whole movie, and in a good mood, i rewatched it and guess what? hated it once again. At this point i was so disappointed i almost gave up on any future Tom & Jerry movies and the Willy Wonka one, oh god almighty what have you done
Back to Oz with Tom and Jerry
Have always been a huge fan of Tom and Jerry. Have vivid and fond memories of seeing all of their cartoons, with the classic ones (the Hanna Barbera years, the best of which among the best cartoons ever made, Chuck Jones' output was a mixed bag and most of Gene Deitch's were abominations and disgraces to cartoondom) being watched over and over, at my sister's late godfather's house at the age of six and have been a huge fan since.
'Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz' is as said a sequel to 'Tom and Jerry: The Wizard of Oz'. Consider that film one of the best Tom and Jerry films (most of which range from decent to very good, 'Tom and Jerry: The Movie', 'Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' and particularly 'The Fast and the Furry' are the exceptions, was also mixed on 'Spy Quest'),so there were high hopes as well as worries as to whether it would make the same mistake as their version of 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'.
Luckily, 'Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz' is just as good as 'Tom and Jerry: The Wizard of Oz'. Occasionally the film is a little hastily paced and crammed and one does wish that, despite wisely focusing mainly on the Oz characters and Dorothy, that Tom and Jerry had more to do. Is it as good as the 1939 'The Wizard of Oz'? Of course not, that is a timeless classic and it is a tall order for this to be on the same level. Like Tom and Jerry: The Wizard of Oz', 'Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz' is faithful to the 1939 film as well as including elements from the original Baum stories, but doesn't suffer from being too faithful or not having enough to set it apart that it removes what makes the original so timeless. This was one of the biggest mistakes that 'Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' made.
Animation is bright and colourful, with imaginative backgrounds and very nicely done character designs with spot on expressions for particularly Tom and some of them reminiscent of Tex Avery, like a very Red-like Dorothy. The music here is one of the film's biggest strengths, it is nothing short of amazing with a mix of classic old and refreshing new. The highlight is the Jitterbug sequence, so good that it beggars belief that it was intended initially for the 1939 film and then cut, having it here was a treat and it was brilliantly done in terms of the marriage of exuberance, visuals and music. "There's No Place Like Home" is also wonderful.
When it comes to the writing, 'Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz' is done in a way that children will have no trouble following, without ever feeling dumbed down, and be continually captivated by and still have plenty for adults (especially those nostalgic for the 1939 film and Baum's original stories) to enjoy. The story is full of heart, fun and charm and was clearly made with a lot of affection instead of trying to cheapen the material where it took its inspiration from, also bursting with colour.
Despite being underused and more like supporting characters, Tom and Jerry do serve a purpose, are true to character, add enough to the plot to stop them from being pointless and their shenanigans are funny are playful and never sadistic. Love Spike and Droopy, can take or leave Tuffy who can be cute and can also be annoying (the character's okay here but doesn't stand out). The Oz characters are wisely focused more on and they have a lot of spark, with likable heroes, an endearing protagonist and a fun and sinister, if not quite iconic, villain.
Voice acting is another huge strength, with very experienced and hugely talented voice actors (such as Grey DeLisle, Jason Alexander, the late Joe Alaskey, Andrea Martin, Michael Gough, Rob Paulsen and Kath Soucie, many in more than one role) paying homage with huge respect to their characters and the original cast. Those with more than one role never sound over-parted and bring enough individuality to each. Alexander's Nome King is a standout, as is DeLisle as Dorothy Amy Pemberton providing beautifully Dorothy's singing voice.
In summary, really enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox