Story

Themes

Friendship, love and relationships; good versus evil

Violence

Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return has some violence. For example:

• Several characters are joined by a group of toy soldiers to fight flying monkeys. They fight with spears, sticks and fists. No blood is shown, but the sky is dark and the scene is quite frightening.
• The Scarecrow removes the metal arm of the Tin Man so he can throw it at a monkey. The Tin Man’s head is also taken off and used as a machinegun to fire sticky gumballs, which trap some of the monkeys.
• When criminals come to Dorothy’s town and tell her that the residents must be evicted for safety reasons, her dog bites one criminal on the leg and chases the other away.
• A large hand breaks through a wooden door towards the camera. Three monkeys fly through, tie up Glinda and take her to the evil Jester. The Jester turns Glinda into a marionette and puts her in a display case so she can’t escape.
• Soldiers arrest Dorothy and Wiser for eating candy. A judge sentences them to death, but retracts the sentence soon after.
• The Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow fall off a castle roof and use a large cloth as a parachute.
• Evil monkeys kidnap the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow and take them to the Jester. He has them put into cages that cause specific harm to each of them. For example, the Tin Man is put into a tank of water that makes him rust.
• The Lion and Tin Man shove each other.
• An ape uses a magic broomstick to shock himself. Sparks fly off his body, and his skeleton is visible for a moment as his image flickers because of the shock.
• The Jester threatens Dorothy and says, ‘Do as I say, or die!’

Sexual references

None of concern

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return has mild references to substance use. For example, one scene presents sugar as a powerful drug. The Jester forces Dorothy and her owl to read a sign that says ‘Eat everything’. They eat candy until they pass out, because they can’t control themselves.

Nudity and sexual activity

None of concern

Product placement

None of concern

Coarse language

None of concern

Ideas to discuss with your children

Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is an animated musical with a twist on a classic story about good and evil.

The movie shows how friendships can enrich people’s lives, and how families and communities can help their members through hardship. It also highlights the need for passion and determination when you’re fighting for things you strongly believe in.

The movie is likely to be too scary for children under five years, as well as some slightly older children – especially in the 3D version. Children up to the age of nine years might need parental guidance with some scenes.