The Cinedigm June 5, 2018 Blu-ray + DVD (and VOD) release of the 2018 animated film "The Steam Engines of Oz" shows that it is not safe to go back to the Emerald City a century after Dorothy puts right what once went wrong. This adaptation of a Arcana Studios graphic novel adds a family-friendly Soviet twist to the classic film that inspires "Engines."
The concept of "Engines" is way cool and expertly executed. It stays true to the spirit of the books of Lyman Frank Baum and "The Wizard of Oz." Highly stylized flashbacks (including the awesomely perverse actual origin story of the Tin Man) with the strong contrasts and sharp angles of the black-and-white work of Frank Miller is as thrilling as watching Dorothy walk out of her sepia-toned world into the technicolor reality of her version of Oz.
The following YouTube clip of the official "Engines" trailer nicely shows the tone of the story and the animation style of the production while keeping spoilers on the low end.
An ironically heartless Tin Man (Matthew Kevin Anderson) unironically rules Emerald City with an iron fist; his sincere belief that constant expansion of his heavily industrialized realm with no regard for the displaced lions, munchkins, and witches (oh my!) is the best course of action. His delusions extend to considering the inmates in his prison to be guests who reside there for their own good and for that of society.
"My Little Pony" voice actress Ashleigh Bell gives modern-day Dorothy Victoria Wright voice. Victoria is a young engineer, who is a radicalized guest of the state who becomes its enemy. Air-borne primates play a significant role in this transformation.
Victoria recruits fellow guests Diggs (William Shatner), who is the brother of Oscar "Oz" Diggs, and munchkin Gromit for her rebellion. This begins with a variation of "Shawshank" style escape that leads to a daring run for the border.
Once outside the gates of Emerald City, Victoria runs afoul of not-so-cowardly lions who have great pride. They invite her to dinner in a manner that threatens to make the feature-length "Engines" a short. A little help from her friends sets out heroine back on the yellow brick road.
The group then has an amusing debate regarding the nature of munchkins that does not deter them from locating the Smurf Village style community of The Lollipop Guild. Learning the warrior nature of those little guys and their very clever defense system is a highlight of the film.
The ultimate strategy becomes reuniting Tin Man with an old friend who has a notable brain so that the latter can help the former see the error of his ways. This requires further adventures that lead to a procedure that aptly strongly relates to Walt Disney himself.
Of course, this leads to a climatic showdown. The awesomeness this time is that the solution is a genesis one that involves Tin Man being reborn.
The big picture is that "Engines" has exceptionally broad appeal. The toned-down steampunk style animation keeps things cool, and the oft-mentioned dystopian tone keeps things interesting for cynical kids and their jaded 'rents.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Engines" is encouraged to email me; you also can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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