The Wiz 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Wiz 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 24, 2025

11/09/2025 Update: Replacement discs have been received and the audio section below has been updated.

10/28/2025 Update: Criterion's replacement program is reportedly active, we have requested replacement discs and will update this review when they are received.

For those who watched the most recent Academy Awards broadcast and who may have wondered what that song sandwiched in between "Over the Rainbow" and "Defying Gravity" was and how it might be connected to either The Wizard of Oz or Wicked, it was the climactic ballad "Home" from The Wiz, which was "the" Wizard of Oz adjacent Broadway musical for a previous generation. The Wiz may not have ignited the same level of fan fervor that Wicked has, but it pretty much swept the Tony Awards the year it came out, ran for several years, and helped to make then young Stephanie Mills into a star (Stephanie in fact had a huge single recording of "Home"). If The Wiz had cast Stephanie when it matriculated to film, things might have been much different, but that all important need for marquee value (which admittedly Mills probably didn't have) resulted in the completely bizarre casting of Diana Ross, along with other "names" like Michael Jackson in lieu of the original Broadway performers. In this particular case, it might be jokingly stated that the road to cinematic hell was paved not with good intentions but with yellow bricks.

The Wiz had a 1080 Blu-ray release around a decade and a half ago (!) by home studio Universal, and my The Wiz Blu-ray review of that release provides my reaction to the film, an assessment of technical merits and a list of supplements.

The Wiz 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

The Wiz is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Criterion with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. In lieu of an insert booklet Criterion provides a foldout leaflet with this release, which contains the following information on the master:

The Wiz is presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Approved by producer Rob Cohen, this new 4K restoration was undertaken by Universal Pictures and created from the 35 mm original camera negative. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack, also approved by Cohen, was remastered from the original one-inch eight-track stereo music masters. two-inch twenty-four-track original music recordings, and the 35 mm mag stems held in the Universal Pictures vault. The feature is presented in Dolby Vision HDR (high dynamic range) on the 4K Ultra HD disc and high definition SDR (standard dynamic range) on the Blu-ray. Image restoration and audio mixing and restoration: NBC Universal StudioPost.

This is a significant improvement over the old Universal 1080 release, even on the 1080 disc included in this set, let alone the 4K UHD version. The first thing anyone who has the Universal disc is going to notice is a pretty radically different overall color temperature. Just compare screenshot 1 of my old Universal review with screenshot 1 of this review and you'll get an eyeful. While that particular segment is a bit more buttery and yellow in this version, that's not to suggest the entire transfer looks that way, and in fact the Dolby Vision and HDR grades may tend to offer the most "oomph" in terms of tones in the red, blue and purple areas. The opening still looks just a tad dowdy, if decidedly better than on the old Universal disc, but things really start popping more noticeably once Dorothy takes her little cyclone ride. Detail levels show at least marginal improvements over the Universal release when comparing 1080 to 1080, but fine detail definitely sees some upticks in the 4K presentation, to the point that you can actually pretty easily discern where makeup or prosthetics end and actual faces begin in some close-ups. This is another 4K presentation where the generally tightly resolved 1080 grain field can take on new texture and grittiness, which may not be everyone's cup of tea, so to speak. I noticed no age related wear and tear of any import on either presentation.

The Wiz 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Note: I have long recommended that fans do QC on releases with rejiggered audio, and that once again turned out to be the case with the first pressing of this release, which contained errors in the Atmos track that diehard aficionados noticed. Criterion responded with replacement discs, which don't just correct the missing/wrong elements in the Atmos track, but which commendably adds a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track recreating the original 70mm 6 track exhibition audio.

The Wiz has been adorned with a pleasing new Atmos mix on both the 1080 and 4K UHD discs in this set, as well as a hugely enjoyable DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 track on this second pressing which should absolutely delight "originalists". This frankly isn't the "showiest" Atmos mix in terms of delivering gobsmacking overhead activity, and I was actually rather well pleased with the old Universal 1080 disc's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but the Atmos version here has increased clarity and dynamic range, and also offers all of the surround activity that was present on the earlier version. The 5.1 track on this disc struck me as substantially more spacious and immersive than the older track on the earlier release. Quincy Jones' boisterous arrangements sound fantastic throughout, and as noted in my original review, the kind of whispery voiced Diana Ross actually belts here on occasion and also sounds fantastic. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Wiz 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K UHD Disc

• Commentary is by Michael B. Gillespie and Alfred L. Martin.

1080 Disc

• Commentary is by Michael B. Gillespie and Alfred L. Martin.


• Diana Ross (HD; 7:57) is an archival interview from October 1978 at the premiere.


• Sidney Lumet (HD; 11:59) is a 2001 interview culled from American Masters which was actually about Quincy Jones.


• Trailer (HD; 3:23)

A foldout leaflet contains an essay by Aisha Harris.

The Wiz 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

At some point in my misspent youth or at least my misspent earlier middle age in my guise as a musician I had some fun gigs with a jazz singer who had been signed to A&M records decades previously with Charlie Smalls as part of a band that was supposed to be called C. Smalls & Co. Enterprising internet sleuths can ferret out one solitary 45 the aggregation put out, a "standalone" release this singer somewhat hilariously suggested happened because the album advance given to Smalls somewhat mysteriously disappeared and the album deal was therefore cancelled. Smalls obviously went on to bigger and better things, but his score is not particularly well served in this film version, and the casting of Ross was probably insurmountable in any case. Technical merits on both the 1080 and 4K discs in this set improve on the old Universal 1080 disc, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.