Prime Video movie of the day: The Wizard of Oz gets a strange makeover in The Wiz

Motown meets The Wizard of Oz in this 1978 movie remake of The Wiz’s 1974 stage play

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Every day, we cut through the bottomless list of streaming options and recommend something to watch. See all ourNetflix movie of the daypicks, or ourPrime Video movie of the daychoices.

DescribingThe Wiz(out now onPrime Video, aka one of the world’sbest streaming services) feels rather like telling someone about a weird dream you had. Essentially, it’sThe Wizard of Ozbut, instead of the Dorothy that many of us know and love, the lead character an aged-up, Black version of the character played by Diana Ross. The titular wizard – going by his ‘The Wiz’ title – is portrayed by Richard Pryor, and none other than pop legend Michael Jackson is The Scarecrow. Yes, really. Oh, and it’s also directed by Sidney Lumet, who is best known for gritty dramas likeSerpicoandDog Day Afternoon.Go figure.

Based on the 1974 stage play of the same name, which itself takes heaps of inspiration fromThe Wizard of Oz, there are clear similarities betweenThe Wizand its main influence – not least its main characters, fantasy setting, and earworm-inducing soundtrack. That said, it’s also something of a cautionary tale.The Wizshowed that you can spend a huge amount of money on a production and hire some of the world’s biggest stars, but you’ll still end up with a film that doesn’t quite work. In my mind, it’s fascinating to watch, but it’s definitely flawed.

What’s wrong with The Wiz?

The Radio Timesbest summed it up, callingThe Wiz"one of the most expensive movie flops of all time". That appears to have been down to the focus it placed on its A-list actors, which led to some significant alterations toThe Wizard of Oz’s familiar story.

Indeed, asTime managzineput it at the time: “Banks will not back a big film unless the star is someone even a banker has heard of. Thus, when you want to cast a black version ofThe Wizard of Oz, you do not hold an audition for beautiful teen-age black girls who can sing like crazy, though the possibilities of such an audition stagger the imagination. You sign up Diana Ross”. And that, dear reader, is a problem: Ross is a grown woman, whereas Dorothy is supposed to be a young girl. By rewriting the story with an adult as the main character,The Wizlost the sense of childish innocence and wonder that’s in the original story. Little wonder, then, that people weren’t enthused with it.

There were, however, some positive reviews thatThe Wizwas met with. For one,Varietypraised most of the cast, although its reviewer remarked of Jackson: “Though vocally great, needs more acting exposure”. Famous criticRoger Ebertpraised Jackson’s warmth, but only awarded the movie three out of five stars. He called its special effects “sensational”, but later added: “The movie has great moments and a lot of life… [but] it hedges its bets by wanting to be sophisticated and universal, childlike and knowing, appealing to both a mass audience and to media insiders.”

Of those who saw the movie over 45 years ago,The Washington Post’s review was perhaps the most glowing of all, saying: “Sidney Lumet’s spectacular, joyous production ofThe Wizgenerates a mood of wonder and sentimental rapture recalling the arrival of the Mother Ship inClose Encounters of the Third Kind”. High praise indeed for a flick that we’ll refrain from adding to ourbest Prime Video moviesguide.

You might also like

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir,Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock bandUnquiet Mind.

4 spy shows on Prime Video with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes

Prime Video’s smart new X-Ray feature is finally a good reason to add AI to streaming

Phishing attacks surge in 2024 as cybercriminals adopt AI tools and multi-channel tactics