The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

It's not on a par with the Muppet movie madness of old, but it's darn close. Charming actress/singer Ashanti stars as Dorothy, a waitress in her Auntie Em's (Queen Latifah) diner in Kansas, who really wants to be a pop-music star...and she just might get her chance when a tornado blows her and her pet prawn (Pepe, the most suave and perhaps most hilarious Muppet ever) to the Land of Oz, where the great Wizard could grant her wish. Sly and clever pop-culture comments abound as, ahem, the "friends of Dorothy" travel with her to Emerald City--Kermit's Scarecrow, Fozzie's Lion, Gonzo's Tin Man, and diva Miss Piggy, who naturally hogs the screen as all of the witches. But it's not that the writers have simply dropped in references to everything from Harry Potter to high fashion: no mere throwaway jokes, these lines offer opportunities to send-up, satirize, and criticize contemporary culture, making The Muppets' Wizard of Oz much smarter than we expect from kids' entertainment these days. "What happens in Emerald City, stays in Emerald City, okay?" says Pepe, but you'll want to share it. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include Muppet Pepe the King Prawn’s “making-of” featurette (8 min.), an extended interview with Quentin Tarantino (6 min.), “Oz Oops!” bloopers and outtakes (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small but solid extras package for a fun Muppets film.] (M. Johanson)