History YMMV / ReturnToOz

* CompleteMonster: Princess Mombi somehow manages to outdo [[Film/TheWizardOfOz the Wicked Witch of the West]] in sheer unpleasantness: let's start with the asking price for helping [[BigBad the Nome King]]- [[OffWithHerHead the heads of several beautiful women.]] Mombi keeps these heads, still alive [[AndIMustScream and still conscious]], in a hall of cabinets; every so often, she'll "slip into something more comfortable" by swapping heads. And when Dorothy arrived in the Emerald City, Mombi had her imprisoned, fully intending to keep her there until she reached adulthood just so she could have a fully-mature head to add to her "collection."

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: The film is meant to be seen as a kids' adventure film, yet there are the infamous scenes such as shock therapy, Dorothy's friends TakenForGranite, and of course, the Gnome King.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: the whole soundtrack can go from eerie to sad or magnificent, and sprouts a wide variety of music, going from orchestra to silent era piano to a creepy mandolin or a modern techno for the Nome King.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: The Girl who rescues Dorothy at the Beginning [[spoiler: whom Dorothy sees as Ozma at the end]]. Is she just [[spoiler: Ozma's real world counterpart]] like how the other characters are, and if so did she drown? Is she [[spoiler: Ozma's soul]] reaching out to Dorothy, thus making her the same character? Or is she [[spoiler: Ozma's soul]] appearing to her as a figment of her imagination, as she get's into closed rooms, and the Doctors never seem to acknowledge her? If that's the case, can she interact with the real world in a limited capacity, seeing as she untied Dorothy, or was that also imagined, and she just wasn't tied in well.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: The Girl who rescues Dorothy at the Beginning [[spoiler: whom Dorothy sees as Ozma at the end]]. Is she just [[spoiler: Ozma's real world counterpart]] like how the other characters are, and if so did she drown? Is she [[spoiler: Ozma's soul]] reaching out to Dorothy, thus making her the same character? Or is she [[spoiler: Ozma's soul]] appearing to her as a figment of her imagination, as she get's into closed rooms, and the Doctors never seem to acknowledge her (and scenes like her getting free of the gurney could just be that the belts weren't fashioned right)?

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* HellIsThatNoise: The Wheelers's laughs and ''especially'' the squeaking sounds they make when they role around.

* CompleteMonster: Mombi. Not only does she have a collection of still-living heads to use in place of her own, but she was more than happy to imprison Dorothy in her attic until she was old enough to be added to the collection.

** And then there's her [[BiggerBad master, the Nome King]]. His crimes, in order of appearance: invading a country, petrifying its people and kidnapping its ruler- [[DisproportionateRetribution all to take revenge for a simple case of theft that nobody present was guilty of]]; transforming the Scarecrow into an ornament and forcing Dorothy and her friends to face the same fate; threatening to burn the "players" alive if they don't continue playing; [[KickTheDog mockingly thanking Dorothy]] for ''[[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame "making everything I've done possible"]]''; cheating on his half of the bargain by trying to [[ImAHumanitarian literally DEVOUR Dorothy and her friends]]. And it's made even worse in the {{Novelization}}, in which we learn that he [[LackOfEmpathy has utterly no better emotions like love or joy]], and is faking them to manipulate Dorothy with shame and despair; the film at least gave him a moment of genuine sympathy- in the novelization, it's just an act.

** And then there's her [[BiggerBad master, the Nome King]]. His crimes, in order of appearance: invading a country, petrifying its people and kidnapping its ruler- [[DisproportionateRetribution all to take revenge for a simple case of theft that nobody present was guilty of]]; transforming the Scarecrow into an ornament and forcing Dorothy and her friends to face the same fate; threatening to burn the "players" alive if they don't continue playing; [[KickTheDog mockingly thanking Dorothy]] for ''[[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame "making everything I've done possible"]]''; cheating on his half of the bargain by trying to[[ImAHumanitarian literally DEVOUR Dorothy and her friends]]. And it's made even worse in the {{Novelization}}, in which we learn that he [[LackOfEmpathy has utterly no better emotions like love or joy]], and is faking them to manipulate Dorothy with shame and despair; the film at least gave him a moment of genuine sympathy- in the novelization, it's just an act.

* RetroactiveRecognition: FairuzaBalk is Dorothy.

** And then there's her [[BiggerBad master, the Nome King]]. His turning everyone from the [[BalefulPolymorph Emerald City into an emerald nicknack]], his [[KickTheDog cruel and mocking thanking of Dorothy]] for ''[[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame "making everything I've done possible"]]'', and his gleeful desire to [[ImAHumanitarian literally DEVOUR Dorothy and her friends]]all show him for the inhuman monstrosity he is. And it's made even worse in the {{Novelization}}, in which we learn that he [[LackOfEmpathy has utterly no better emotions like love or joy]], and is faking them to manipulate Dorothy with shame and despair.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: the whole soundtrack can go from eerie to sad or magnificent, and sprouts a wide variety of music, going from orchestra to silent era piano to a creepy mandolin or a modern techno for the Nome King

** And then there's her [[BiggerBad master, the Nome King]]. His turning everyone from the [[BalefulPolymorph Emerald City into an emerald nicknack]], his [[KickTheDog cruel and mocking thanking of Dorothy]] for ''[[YourApprovalFiillsMeWithShame "making everything I've done possible"]]'', and his gleeful desire to [[ImAHumanitarian literally DEVOUR Dorothy and her friends]]all show him for the inhuman monstrosity he is. And it's made even worse in the {{Novelization}}, in which we learn that he [[LackOfEmpathy has utterly no better emotions like love or joy]], and is faking them to manipulate Dorothy with shame and despair.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: 75% of the movie is this.

* NarmCharm: Tik-Tok hugging Dorothy and [[TearsFromAStone shedding green oil tears]] should be ridiculous, especially with 80s film effects. [[TearJerker It isn't.]]

* HilariousInHindsight: Or a FunnyAneurysmMoment depending. The gnome hands reaching out to pull open a passageway to the Gnome King's ornament room rather resembles a certain well-known shock site.

* * {{Narm}}: The Nome telling the Nome King that Dorothy has [[spoiler: '''A CHICKEN!!''']]

* FridgeLogic: As powerful as he is, why would the Nome King want to become human?
* HeyItsThatGuy: He doesn't appear on-screen or have any lines, but it you stick around for the credits, DeepRoy was apparently in the Tin Woodsman's costume!