History YMMV / ReturnToOz

* UncannyValley: Dorothy on the 2004 DVD cover. The designers attempted to make her smile, but the results don't look convincing.

* SignatureScene: Dorothy encountering Mombi's real head in the dark hallway as she's trying to retrieve the formula that [[spoiler:brings [[AnimateInanimateObjects inanimate objects to life]]]]. Suddenly, Mombi's head [[JumpScare opens her eyes and shouts: "Dorothy Gale!"]] and the lights go on in the hallway as all the heads start screaming. By far the most memorable scene in the film, due to how creepy it is.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The Nome King (pre-human transformation) and his minions were animated by Claymation master Will Vinton; they appear to complete come out of the rocks.

* VindicatedByHistory: As aforementioned. The film was originally released to mixed-to-negative reception from both audiences and critics at the time for its darker tone compared to the widely beloved 1939 film and was a massive flop at the box office. However, as the years have passed, the film has gained a large cult following over time and is now regarded to be a CultClassic that is both a worthy semi-sequel to the 1939 film and an enjoyable DarkFantasy film in its own right. It has also been praised by ''Oz'' fans for being [[TruerToTheText far closer to the original novels]] compared to other adaptations.

** Due to AdaptationDisplacement concerning the MGM, the TruerToTheText elements of this film often get mistaken for creations of the film. Jack Pumpkinhead, the Wheelers, and other scoffed at elements are from the original ''Oz'' books.
** The dark tone came as a massive shock to many familiar with the 1939 and was one of the reasons why the film received as much criticism as it did back then. However, as many readers of the novels would tell you, the original books were also quite dark and twisted compared to the more famous movie, which was LighterAndSofter by comparison.

* VindicatedByHistory: As aforementioned. The film was originally released to mixed-to-negative reception from both audiences and critics at the time for its darker tone compared to the widely beloved 1939 film and was a massive flop at the box office. However, as the years have passed, the film has gained a large cult following over time and is now regarded to be a CultClassic that is both a worthy semi-sequel to the 1939 film and an enjoyable DarkFantasy film in its own right. It has also been praised by ''OZ'' fans for being [[TruerToTheText far closer to the original novels]] compared to other adaptations.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Due to AdaptationDisplacement concerning the MGM, the TruerToTheText elements of this film often get mistaken for creations of the film. Jack Pumpkinhead, the Wheelers, and other scoffed at elements are from the original ''Oz'' books.

* VindicatedByHistory: As aforementioned. The film was originally released to mixed-to-negative reception from both audiences and critics at the time for its darker tone compared to the widely beloved 1939 film and was a massive flop at the box office. However, as the years have passed, the film has gained a large cult following over time and is now regarded to be a CultClassic that is both a worthy sequel to the 1939 film and an enjoyable fantasy film in its own right. It has also been praised by ''OZ'' fans for being far closer to the original novels in spirit and tone.

* VindicatedByHistory: As aforementioned. The film was originally released to mixed-to-negative reception from both audiences and critics at the time for its darker tone compared to the widely beloved 1939 film and was a massive flop at the box office. However, as the years have passed, the film has gained a large CultFollowing and is now regarded to be both a worthy sequel to the 1939 film and an enjoyable fantasy film in its own right. It has also been praised by OZ fans for being far closer to the original novels in spirit and tone.

* CultClassic: A failure with audiences and critics alike when it came out, it's now remembered as a nostalgic classic for '80s kids, and was one of the catalog titles available on Creator/DisneyPlus on its launch day in 2019.

* RewatchBonus: When she's in the hospital, Dorothy gets locked in Room 31. In Oz, Mombi keeps her original head in Cabinet 31.

* 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?
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: 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.

* CultClassic: A failure with audiences and critics alike when it came out, it's now remembered as a nostalgic classic for 80s kids.
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film did well in Japan, possibly because they marketed toward its dark side.

** Creator/FairuzaBalk battling {{Wicked Witch}}es is hilarious if you know of her role as a crazy black magic practitioner in ''Film/TheCraft''. Not to mention that she owned an occult shop in real life. She also plays the main character, who is a witch in the 1986 version of ''Literature/TheWorstWitch''.
** Mombi saying that she'll keep Dorothy locked up for a few years until her head becomes acceptable to take. Just try and see Mombi taking on Nancy from ''Film/TheCraft''!

** The Nome telling the Nome King that Dorothy has '''A CHICKEN!!''' True, it makes sense given the context, but unless you've read the book, that context isn't provided until much later in the movie.

** Additionally him revealing that he has the Ruby Slippers. Yep the BigBad king revealing he's wearing a pair of glittery red high heels.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The Nome King (pre-human transformation) and his minions were animated by Claymation master Will Vinton and they appear to complete come out of the rock.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: The film is meant to be seen as a kids' adventure film, yet there are the infamous scenes such as shock therapy, the disembodied heads of the Lollipop Guild, and of course, the Nome King.

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

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The Scarecrow's mouth never moves when he speaks -- albeit budget cuts forced the production to abandon plans for an animontronic head, but sill.
* StrawmanHasAPoint: The Nome King points out that as the precious stones of the world are made and owned by Nomes, those humans who mined and used them are actually guilty of theft. True, it doesn't actually excuse him for invading Oz just to retrieve the Emeralds and turning the inhabitants to stone, but still. Apparently diplomacy and negotiating went right out the door when he became 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.

** Fairuza Balk battling {{Wicked Witch}}es is hilarious if you know of her role as a crazy black magic practitioner in ''Film/TheCraft''. Not to mention that she owned an occult shop in real life. She also plays the main character, who is a witch in the 1986 version of ''Literature/TheWorstWitch''.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film did well in Japan, possibly because they marketed toward its dark side.

* TearJerker: [[TearJerker/ReturnToOz Has its own page]].

** Fairuza Balk battling {{Wicked Witch}}es is hilarious if you know of her role as a crazy black magic practitioner in ''Film/TheCraft''. Not to mention that she became a Wiccan in real life. She also plays the main character, who is a witch in the 1986 version of ''Literature/TheWorstWitch''.

* UncannyValley: Dorothy on the 2004 DVD cover.

** Fairuza Balk battling {{Wicked Witch}}es is hilarious if you know of her role as a crazy black magic practitioner in ''Film/TheCraft''. Not to mention that she became a Wiccan in real life.

* TearJerker: The end credits and ending in general have a very sad tone, even with the happy ending.

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

* CultClassic

* HilariousInHindsight: Or a FunnyAneurysmMoment depending. The nome hands reaching out to pull open a passageway to the Nome 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!!''']]

* StrawmanHasAPoint: The Nome King points out that as the precious stones of the world are made and owned by Nomes, those humans who mined and used them are actually guilty of theft. True, it doesn't actually excuse him for invading Oz just to retrieve the Emeralds and turning the inhabitants to stone, but still...
** Apparently diplomacy and negotiating went right out the door when he became king.

* TheWoobie: Dorothy and Jack.

* 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 Nome King.