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'Wizard of Oz at SPHERE' - WTF?

SamNovak

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'Wizard of Oz at SPHERE' - WTF?

Venetian's superhyped experience is a must-do. It's also a cinematic travesty...

Screenshot from the official OZ at SPHERE website

How could something this incredible be simultaneously so appalling? The Wizard of Oz at SPHERE is undeniably a global-scale event. Its universal appeal could single-handedly elevate our sagging tourism. And yes, it's worthy of the hype. However...and this is important...if you're a true fan of the cinematic classic, you may be mortified at what's been done to the 1939 original The Wizard of Oz.

Unless you've been trapped under a Kansas farmhouse, you already know about The Wizard of Oz at SPHERE. Yes, that's the official name. Shall we abbreviate it to OZ at SPHERE from now on? It's essential to make that distinction, because this presentation isn't the film you grew up on. More on that in a bit. Since VEGAS 411 does things a little differently, I won't recycle the same statistics, PR quotes, and phone videos that have tornadoed across the internet since the 8/28/25 premiere. In fact, I didn't record a single clip during the presentation. My eyes were on the massive screen...where they belonged.

The Positives - "I am the Great and Powerful OZ!"

The Wizard of Oz has a rich connection to Las Vegas. Many forget (or perhaps never knew) that the bright green MGM Grand Hotel, which opened in 1993, was designed to represent Emerald City. Inside, thousands of details and a walk-through attraction led you through the magical land. Here's a rare video from the early 1990s. [embed]https://youtu.be/wvvKhIb2hsI?si=7jOhKghAQrTcZLPs[/embed] OZ elements were stripped from the MGM Grand years ago. For those who miss them, OZ at SPHERE may feel like a wonderfully nostalgic return. The similarities begin at Palazzo's waterfall atrium, where life-size figurines advertise the attraction and offer photo opportunities.

MGM Grand Hotel, 1996

Venetian/Palazzo Resort, August 2025

Anticipation builds as you stroll the very lengthy corridor from Venetian to SPHERE. As has been the case every time I've visited, moving walkways were not operational on the day of my visit. This presents a problem for the elderly and physically challenged, as does the very steep seating within.

Pre-show activities are spread throughout the SPHERE atrium. Their appearance mimics the sepia-toned opening of the film. Sepia is the brownish hue that makes Kansas appear so drab. Dorothy's arrival in OZ, during which the film switches to glorious Technicolor, remains an unforgettable moment eighty-six years later.

Naturally, there is merchandise galore for purchase. You can take a peek at what's available in the online store. Prices range from $12 for a refrigerator magnet to $69 for a poster and $70 for a hooded sweatshirt.

Attendees are asked to be seated no later than fifteen minutes before showtime. You'll want to hit the restroom beforehand, as they can be quite far away. Steep stairs and a narrow gap between aisles are difficult to navigate, so take advantage of the extra time. Those prone to vertigo and motion sickness should consider the risks associated with visiting SPHERE.

There are two designated Sensory Rooms – one on level 2 and one on level 6 that are open during public events, subject to availability. Please see your nearest guest experience representative for additional assistance on-site. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to Sphere Guest Relations and Accessibility Services here or 725-258-6724

Upon exiting the screening, guests will notice that the Sphere's interior has transformed into an inside-out version of the MGM Grand. Emerald green is literally everywhere! This is the perfect time to take more photos and enjoy a post-show presentation featuring live characters.

[embed]https://youtu.be/m1_U7-PLFMA[/embed]

The Negatives - "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. He'll look for clues inside your handbag before gazing into the crystal ball. And he'll say anything to sell you a ticket and merchandise at OZ at SPHERE.

"Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking." Like the promotional blather describing OZ's transition from a square-shaped analog film to a wide, curved digital presentation. Most of it is mistruths and hyperbole.

We've been told that the low-tech film was sharpened and widened using available technology. And that's absolute bullshit. I'm going to blatantly tell you what nobody else has the guts to say. OZ at SPHERE is a top-to-bottom, beginning-to-end computer-generated remake. It's an AI-assisted photo-realistic cartoon masquerading as a live-action film. The musical score has also been newly created, albeit with live musicians in a studio.

Photo courtesy of SPHERE

Photo courtesy of SPHERE via BroadwayWorld

Photo courtesy of SPHERE via BroadwayWorld

Photo courtesy of SPHERE via BroadwayWorld

Yes, you heard me correctly. This is a remake of The Wizard of Oz. Not one digital "frame" is from the original film. Whether this upsets you depends on how you feel about outside entities altering art, especially without the creators' permission. In this case, they're all dead...and descendants are undoubtedly eager to approve changes in exchange for a check. We've faced this moral/artistic conundrum many times, from colorizing black-and-white movies to resurrecting dead actors for brand-new stories (Peter Cushing in Star Wars: Rogue One). But never before have we seen a full-fledged remake masquerading as an "enhanced presentation." And it's packed with technical errors. Here's my out-of-the-theater reaction, a text that I sent to an acclaimed Hollywood film director:

This isn't the original movie in the slightest. It's a CGI remake. All of the characters, everything is a recreation. It looks like The Polar Express. Facial movements, teeth, spacing between characters... all of it is off.

Dorothy is supposed to be talking to the Tin Man, for instance, but she's looking the wrong way. Toto looks like a dirty mop soaked in tar. Background characters in crowd scenes have faces that are too small or too large, or they aren't centered on their heads.

You can see several identical Munchkins scattered around the yellow brick road. They have looped movements like broken robots, where they'll smile at one another, wave, put their hand down, then repeat the sequence over and over. When the four main characters skip down the road, their feet aren't touching the ground.

THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

OZ at SPHERE (courtesy of BroadwayWorld) resembles a cartoon

They must have gotten a discount on CGI butterfly software because butterflies are everywhere, even in the dark. All of the witch's guards have the exact same face now, but the ones in the foreground are smaller than the ones in the background. I saw faces go blurry, disappear, then come back.

Dorothy is sometimes taller than the others. Characters will suddenly slow down their movements, then speed up before correcting. The "King of the Forest" song is cut, but the Lion's crown appears in one shot and is gone the very next.

You might ask, "Why be concerned about what's going on at the sides of the picture?". But isn't that the very point of seeing it at SPHERE? Too bad it's done so poorly. Even simple details like Dorothy's skin are inconsistent. Sometimes she has freckles and red cheeks, other times she looks like a pink porcelain doll.

An army of technicians worked to create this bastardization of a treasure. Compare the small but passionate group credited in the original (above) with the closing credits of the SPHERE version (below). This is what happens when you value technology over creativity.

Modern advancements can be used to great effect when applied with restraint and care. Director JJ Abrams, for instance, restored the low-budget 1979 horror classic PHANTASM with a loving touch. STAR TREK - The Motion Picture underwent a similar upgrade, utilizing members of the original production team and notes written by director Robert Wise.

1975's JAWS currently sits at number two at the movie box office. It too was restored, formatted for IMAX screens, and enhanced with 3D and 4DX effects. Fifty years after it became a global phenomenon, director Steven Spielberg approved the restoration and filmed a pre-show greeting. The Wizard of Oz already received a beautiful Warner Bros. restoration in 2009. Original negatives were cleaned and realigned, yielding a clarity never before seen. Instead of disguising the limitations of the era, the restoration drew attention to them. The results were applauded:

"..flaws made more visible by the restoration (remain) intact — the hairlines on the Munchkin’s bald caps, or the mismatched color of Bert Lahr’s facial prosthetics — rather than “improving” them. Getting a better glimpse than ever of the seam between set and backdrop or poppy field and matte painting is no betrayal of the spell. Instead, it’s an invitation to admire the craft, to revel in the illusion-making." - Sam Adams, IndieWire.com

In 2013, the classic received another major enhancement, this time adding 3D and IMAX certifications. The goal was to add depth of field to the OZ sequences, helping to distinguish them from the blandness of Kansas. But in both restorations, nothing was edited for content or running time. Every second, every camera angle, each line of dialogue remained intact.

OZ at SPHERE is all about the gimmicks. Helium-balloon monkeys and paper butterflies fly in front of the screen. Toy apples fall on the audience. Fans and dust simulate a tornado, and jets of actual fire flank the CGI-created Wizard (he no longer resembles actor Frank Morgan, by the way). These effects are momentarily amusing, but ultimately prove a distraction. OZ at SPHERE runs 27 minutes shorter than the original movie. Songs and entire sequences have been eliminated. The remaining scenes are smashed together, with important dialogue and subtle moments tossed out the window. It's a piece of history, condensed and repackaged for today's short attention spans. And that's tragic. [embed]https://youtu.be/19bV7-TILOA[/embed]

The Conclusion - "There's No Place Like Home."

At its core, 1939's The Wizard of Oz was never about spectacle. Its messages deal with finding your place in the world, appreciating what you have, and treasuring those you love. For this remake, the theme is "Gaudiness equals Profit"...and that is so very "Vegas". Oz at SPHERE truly is something worth seeing. It represents the best and worst of Sin City in one unique place. If you can afford the steep ticket price ($110.00 and up), I highly recommend the experience. Quite frankly, I don't feel it's worth more than $75, especially when you have to pay over $20.00 to park. If you're a true cinephile, save your money and skip OZ at SPHERE. Instead, see a respectfully restored classic or new blockbuster in 4DX at Red Rock Casino. You'll get the full movie in a director-approved modern version for only $25.00...and parking is absolutely free.

"Perhaps in the future, the test of a classic film won’t be how it stands the test of time, but how it withstands the alterations made to lure new audiences in." - Sam Adams, 9/20/2013