There wont be many people who wont know the story, have read the book, or have seen the film at some point in their lives. But just in case, I should probably just run through the plot anyway. Dorothy Gale lives with her Aunt and Uncle on a farm in Kansas. When the evil Miss Gulch threatens to have her little dog Toto destroyed after he bites her, Dorothy decides the only thing she can do is run away. When an old Travelling Gypsy warns her that her running away could result in illness for her Aunt Em, Dorothy returns home just in time to be whipped up with her house in a furious tornado. When she wakes up, she finds herself in a strange land filled with Munchkins and witches. After killing the Witch of the east, she makes an enemy of her even more wicked sister Witch of the west. Instantly, Dorothy misses her aunt and uncle and the farm at home, and wishes she was back there. On the advice of the good witch, Glinda, she heads to the Emerald City for the help of the wonderful Wizard with her little dog Toto trotting all the way with her. On the way she befriends 3 strange creatures who are also in dire need of some help. The scarecrow needs a brain as he's only made of straw, The Tinman needs a heart as he's made only of tin, and The Lion needs courage as he constantly lives in fear. When they get to the Wizard, he says he will only help them if they kill the wicked witch, so Dorothy and her new companions find themselves on another more frightening journey, only to find that perhaps their dreams aren't so within reach after all.

The musical score is as memorable as the story and the performances. A stunning "Over The Rainbow" opens the show whilst Dorothy is still back in Kansas. Garland was as good a singer as she was an actress. Its her only singular number, the rest involving other member of the cast. Bert Lahr's "King Of The Forrest" is also a stand out number later on in the film, as he purrs and bellows through the number. There isn't a single dud in the score, and even today the musical numbers are still enjoyable in context to the film. "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz" is the number most prominent throughout the film, performed no less than 4 times, but you never tire of hearing it, and its great to hear the kids join in and sing along with it.

The production company behind this release have really gone to town on the DVD extra's as well, and its nice to see such a classic getting the right old royal treatment. Both discs are jam-packed with extra's that are informative, nostalgic and interesting. There are some nice asides from some of the cast taken from old interview's, as well as hilarious stories such as how The Tin Man was orginally cast through a different actor who became alergic to the material's used to create the look. Jack Haley Junior, who is presumably the son or grandson of the actor who plays The Tin Man, appears to be responsible for the gathering of some of the interviews and the documentary's of which there are many. There are also deleted scene's, which include a brilliant extended version of The Scarecrow's first song "If I Only Had A Brain". Its difficult to see why these sequences were removed from the film in the first place, as they are good as the material that made the final cut.