Lion of Oz

Based on the book Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage by Roger S. Baum (great-grandson of L. Frank Baum), this animated tale follows the adventures of a young circus lion who dares to take a trip in a hot air balloon with his friend Oscar and thereby earns a Badge of Courage. After being snatched up by a thunderstorm, however, the lion tumbles out of Oscar's balloon and into Oz, where he soon discovers that the Wicked Witch of the East is making life miserable for everyone. When the witch forces the lion to embark on a quest for a mysterious flower, our heroic feline accumulates a retinue of camp followers on his odyssey, and ultimately finds the Flower of Oz. Unfortunately, the witch steals the lion's badge, and thus deprived of this symbol, he believes he's a coward, until his newfound friends teach him that true courage comes from within. The lion in this prequel is, of course, familiar to readers of The Wizard of Oz, and while this new tale is not particularly well written, the animation is decent, the story is easy to follow, and the voice cast--including Tim Curry, Dom DeLouise, Bobcat Goldthwaite, Jane Horrocks, Jason Priestley and Lynn Redgrave--is impressive. Optional. Aud: P. (P. Van Vleck)