What a disappointment! Though I will say that there are some redeeming qualities. Ashanti does give a very spirited performance in the title role as Dorothy, with a lovely singing voice, but it is one of the weaker interpretations of the character, the weakest being Diana Ross in the Wiz. If you want a wonderful characterisation of Dorothy, try Judy Garland or Fairuza Balk. I liked some of the contributions from Gonzo, Kermit and Miss Piggy especially,(I did like the Muppet's spoof on Ride of the Valkyries) but all of them have given better performances. There is also some nice scenery and costumes. Unfortunately the film is undermined by some very mediocre songs, and the script just wasn't funny, apart from the witch's line "I'll get you my pretty, and your little prawn too". Other than that, the jokes were contrived and overdone, and the film didn't have any of the magic of the original story. I agree with other commentators that it was an attempt to make the Muppets more contemporary, and because of the overall mediocrity of the film, it just didn't work. I absolutely love the Muppets, and I love most of their movies, especially Christmas Carol and Treasure Island, not to mention the surprisingly good Great Muppet Caper. But basically, Muppets Wizard Of Oz doesn't make the grade, some of it was very painful to watch, especially Quentin Tarantino's completely useless cameo, so I will give it a 3/10 for the Muppets. Bethany Cox.

Obviously this can never compare or surpass the 1939 classic, but it interesting to see the famous puppet team creating their own interpretation. One of the differences, besides it being Muppetised, is that Dorothy and family are black, second is that there are more "special" effects than in the 1939 version, and third, the main actress playing Dorothy is a professional chart topping singer, Ashanti. Anyway, you know the basic story already, but Dorothy doesn't just want to go home, but become a professional singer for the Muppets' tour. Starring the Muppets' as themselves in moments, but mainly Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) as the Scarecrow, The Great Gonzo (Dave Goelz) as the Tin Thing, Fozzie Bear (Eric Jacobson) as the Cowardly Lion and Miss Piggy (Jacobson) as the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Good Witches of East and North. Also starring Bill Barretta as Pepe the Prawn (or Toto),Jeffrey Tambor as the Wizard, David Alan Grier as Uncle Henry, Queen Latifah as Auntie Em and Quentin Tarantino. It was nominated the Emmy for Best Song for "I'm With You". The Muppets were number 47 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons. Okay!

What's that? A gay joke in a Muppets movie? The Muppets' Wizard of Oz features several other moments that many might deem inappropriate for a children's film, including latino prawn Pepe giving Gonzo a nipple tweak, a reference to Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, a nightclub called Poppyfields (an opium reference carried over from the original books and the 1939 movie),the phrase 'witch slap', a cameo from Quentin Tarantino, a sexy CGI woman with big boobs, and the potentially upsetting sight of Kermit being disembowelled and Gonzo decapitated.

These scenes seem to have had some parents seething at their inclusion, but for me, the edgier elements were the most enjoyable thing about my viewing experience, for the rest of the film is bland, formulaic Disney tosh, devoid of charm and lacking in magic.

A lot of effort has clearly gone into the production design, but not quite so much attention has been paid to the script, which suffers from lame comedy (more miss than hit) and numerous pop culture references that already seem dated. Star Ashanti, who plays Dorothy, can carry a tune but is less animated than Kermit and co. after the puppeteers have gone home for the night. Chuck in some absolutely terrible CGI and what you have is a frustratingly mediocre outing for the famous felt friends.

5/10.