The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

The Muppets hit rock bottom in the made-for-TV movie _The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz_. Based on the L. Frank Baum novel, the story follows a diner waitress named Dorothy Gale who has dreams of becoming a singer and is swept up by a tornado that takes her to a magical land where she meets a number of strange and interesting characters. Unfortunately pop singer Ashanti isn’t much of an actress, and gives a rather poor performance. And, the songs aren’t that good either. But the worse thing has to be the cheap CGI effects. However, the Muppet characters are well-cast; with Kermit as the Scarecrow, Fozzie as the Cowardly Lion, Piggy as the Wicked Witch, etc. Also, the writers include several elements from the Baum story that don’t often appear in most adaptations; such as the Emerald City glasses and silver slippers (not ruby). Yet while there are things that work, overall _The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz_ is a lackluster film that’s not putting forth much effort, and it shows.