A lonely lion is shown in a circus, where everyone is afraid of him apart from his friend, the eccentric and virtuous balloonist Oscar Diggs.

Lion saves him, from falling over the cliff and they come to the town of the Mini-Munchkins, who built the original Silver Bridge before it was destroyed by the Wicked Witch of the East.

Next, the group meets the Seamstress, an elderly enchantress who turns Silly and Caroline into quilt patches.

Enraged, the Witch spitefully steals Lion's Badge of Courage and throws it to Gloom who destroys it.

The movie ends with Lion meeting Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and Toto, thus stepping out of his own story and into "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".

The film was released in the United States on DVD in 2000 by Sony Wonder with special features on the disc including Sing Alongs, Music Videos (which were straight from the movie), Games, Interviews with Behind the Scenes and a Gallery.

The film was released on DVD in the United Kingdom by VCI's budget arm Cinema Club in 2002.

The only concern for parents here is cartoon scariness, as the villainous Wicked Witch of the East, her flying monkeys, and her partner in crime -- a skull-faced mist creature called Gloom -- threaten Lion and the friends who're trying to help him.

However, any child who's comfortable with the level of scariness in the 1939 classic film can handle Lion of Oz.

Some of these minor characters, particularly Fitzy, the toy soldier prone to malapropisms, and Caroline, the doll with a sharp tongue and a warm heart, are delightful and help keep the video from becoming cloying.

Technically this video is beautifully made and it boasts a fine cast of actor voices including Dom DeLuise as Oscar, Jane Horrocks as Wimsik, Jason Priestly as the Lion, and Lynne Redgrave as the Wicked Witch.