Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

ftlauderdalefilmfan First of all, after seeing the original version of this amazing musical during its initial Broadway run in the mid-70s nearly 40 years ago which was one of the many incredible Broadway musicals to come out of that decade, and then seeing the most horrible (I can't say it enough) HORRIBLE vomit-inducing film version with 34-year-old Diana Ross in 1978 that was SO bad that it lost nearly half its budget, and then hearing that they were using a woman in the role of the Wiz this time around, I must admit that I went into this with more than a good deal of trepidation and very low expectations.Well, other than Queen Latifah's performance of her two songs which were keyed so low compared to the original B'way version (sung by the still-amazing Andre DeShields) that she sounded like Bea Arthur and they lost all their energy and excitement, and the one ridiculously corny "new" song sung by Dorothy and her friends before leaving the Wiz's palace to try and do away with Evilene, EVERY SINGLE PERFORMANCE was flawless! All of the singing and dancing was done extremely well (although while Ms. Blige did do a fine job of acting and singing, she is certainly no gospel-singing Mabel King). The choreography was difficult yet fun and very well executed. But the main events were the costumes, wigs, makeup, sets, lighting, and special/video effects. For what was essentially a "stage" show, these items made a televised version of this show amazingly spectacular to watch. The one costume that really stood out for me was Glinda's golden spun-sugar gown near the end. While as a young child watching the 1939 version once a year on broadcast TV and seeing Billie Burke in that incredibly beautiful humongous pink sparkly gown and crazily-tall star-topped crown, I even took to drawing it once in awhile even though I had no skill in drawing. To me it was that beautiful and memorable. But this gown just took my breath away. It reminded me of something done with the help of CGI from last year's live-action Disney version of "Cinderella."Most of the stand-out singing, dancing, and acting performances came from the four main characters, all of which were wonderful. But Uzo Aduba totally blew me away with her song, "If You Believe" as she sounded every bit as good as Dee Dee Bridgewater from the original B'way version which was absolutely shocking as I didn't even know Ms. Aduba could sing let alone have such great vocal chops.However, I think the greatest flaw (and I hate to say it since I have always been one of his biggest fans, both of his writing and acting) was Harvey Fierstein's script. In fact, I almost stopped my DVR after the first four minutes in Kansas because the script was so far removed from the original. But I must compliment him highly on the touching scene when the foursome catches the "Wiz" in her bathrobe and she explains to each of them how they already have what they have been seeking, and how she came to be "The Wiz," as well as Dorothy's convincing speech to her about her being trapped in the dark, in secrecy, alone, and unloved. Very redeeming writing compared to much of the "updated" mediocre writing earlier.Before I end this review, I must give Stephanie Mills her due. When she performed on Broadway she was merely 17. Now she is in her 50s, and believe it or not, her voice sounds EXACTLY the same as it did 40 years ago. In fact, I am listening to her version of "Home" from the Original Broadway Cast Recording at this very moment, and there is absolutely NO difference in the quality or strength of her voice in this new version. Kudos, Ms. Mills for hanging onto your amazing chops after all these years.One more thing I have to mention to those who stated in the Message Boards that Shanice Williams was "too old" to play Dorothy. In the 1939 film version of "The Wizard of Oz" Judy Garland was 16, in the original Broadway version of "The Wiz" Stephanie Mills was 17, and Ms. Williams is only 19. In comparison, Diana Ross was 34 when she did the film version, so who was really too old to play Dorothy? And what difference is age in a performer, as long as they don't LOOK too old (as Ms. Ross definitely did in 1978). Just watch any of the four comedies on ABC on Wednesday nights and you will see a good number of young actors in their 20s playing high school and college students much younger than their actual ages. This has been going on in film and TV since forever.In closing, an all-around surprisingly terrific "live" TV version of a great American Broadway Musical. I enjoyed it much more than I had expected.

MsHoneyBee Anyone who reviewed this high has not seen the original Wiz with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.At first I had a few small complaints but when the crew decided they wouldn't go with Dorothy to kill the witch of the west I got furious. This whole show revolves around Dorothy being the backbone of the crew but each team member was very valuable, encouraged one another and made things happen. They were highly supportive and strong in their own right. This version has everyone being a coward!The reason I love the Wiz (1978) was because it was a story about overcoming the things that make us weak. For instance, the scarecrow thought he was dumb because he didn't have a brain but he was the smartest person in the bunch. In the live version the scarecrow was literally scared all the time and dumb for real. The Wiz (1978) showed us that what we need is inside of us and we don't need to rely on anyone else. In this version, everyone relied on Dorothy!This was a star studded abomination of the original Wiz movie. I can't speak for the Broadway play but compared to the movie there is no comparison.The best actors were Mary J because she was JUST like the 1978 version Evilene, David Allen Greer (he carried Dorothy and the Scarecrow), Ne-Yo did an amazing job singing, which he is already pretty good at, and a pretty good job acting. I appreciate them for taking some of the original songs from the movie, and some dance numbers were good.Did they not get permission to use some elements of the movie? They left out some very key ideas and items that I missed, like the Yellow Brick Cabs, the real Crow Commandments (Thou shall honor all crows....), AND WHERE WAS TOTO????They tried to modernize this and ruined it. I will stick to the 1978 movie version. Diana Ross, Lena Horne, Michael Jackson, and so many others did a much better job!

febmary I am not a theater expert or a theater critic. I watch TV to be entertained and oh boy, was I ever entertained with "The Wiz Live!" I didn't look for flaws. I didn't listen for missed notes or lyrics. I didn't scour sets and costumes for flaws. I certainly did not inspect dance routines for missteps. I didn't unfairly compare it to the original Broadway production, subsequent movie, or the beloved classic that I so dearly adore. I simply watched and I was enchanted with what NBC put before me.No, this viewer won't pick apart the production. I will just say again that I was entertained and I am so very glad I had the privilege of watching NBC finally get it right!

mark.waltz After being transformed into an unhappy schoolteacher who ends up in Oz in the misguided 1978 movie version of the smash hit Broadway musical, Dorothy has been given another chance on the screen, this time on T.V. The third live musical over the last three holiday seasons, hopes have been high for the past couple of weeks that they get it right. So Dorothy is a young girl again, modernized to the current day, so greater care has been taken to ensure that the show is preserved with its original themes.It starts off great with the original Dorothy, Stephanie Mills, as the strict but loving Auntie Em, singing to her troubled niece (Shanice Williams) with patience, adoration and guidance. Outstanding choreography represents Dorothy inside the tornado, and is stunning. At first, young Miss Williams seems just a tiny bit older than her years through cynicism and clothing perhaps a bit too revealing for a girl her age, but it soon becomes obvious that she is indeed a young lady as her vulnerabilities and curiosities arise over her new location.Other than Mills, David Alan Grier, Mary Jay Blige and Queen Latifah, I am unfamiliar with any of the supporting cast as well as the T.V. shows they are on. However, they all have the skills of veteran Broadway performers. Why Queen Latifah hasn't graced the stage as of yet is a mystery to me. Elijah Kelley is a totally vulnerable scarecrow, gentle and thoughtful even with out a brain, while Ne-Yo is a joy as the tin man. He doesn't have the scene-stealing capabilities that Nipsey Russell gave to the movie but simply makes it his own take on a beloved character. Grier adds his own magic as the lion, a representation of the prototype of blow-hard that shows off their exuberance or force of nature yet is a total pussycat on side. Each encounter with Williams shows her just getting more and more lovely with that teen angst disguised as attitude disappearing as fast as witches are dispatched of.The only issue I had with the introduction of her friends us that they all take place immediately on top of each other and feels rushed. What is not rushed is the care that went to the creation of the sets and costumes which are a drag queen's dream come true. It has all the qualities of a live Broadway musical and in that sense, it us absolutely spectacular. For the remaining cast, Amber Riley is an exuberant Addapearle while Queen Latifah is a good gender switched Wiz, playing the role with serious authority. her smile and dimples winning me over all the time. Blige sweeps across the stage as Evalene, and adds a funny take on her queen of mean. Instead of being a vile old witch/slave master, she's more grumpy than wicked. Uzo Aduba as Glinda reminded me of a subtler Bette Midler in her posture. If not a drop-dead beauty in looks, her spirit is quite beautiful and her belting of Believe in Yourself is a gem. Topped off with Williams' Home, it just comes to an emotional conclusion.As for the songs, they are energetically performed and lavishly staged. The ballads are touching and the production numbers and comic songs filled with energy. A brand new song seems to be an anthem in the making with its energy and heart as Dorothy works on challenging her clearing friends to join her in the quest that the Wiz has given her. But what the heck happened to Toto after the opening scene? Perhaps since Diana Ross's Dorothy forgot Toto in the Emerald City of the movie, they didn't want to make that mistake again. It is interesting to note that the dancers are multi-racial. So let it be said that after two fairly enjoyable tries that are still publicly maligned and wrongfully scorned that the network got it right, giving the world a very well staged version of a show that up until now didn't have a legacy. No Cheese Wiz this one!