Times analyzed the film within a discussion of the genre of blaxploitation: "As the audience for blaxploitation dwindled, it seemed as if Car Wash and The Wiz might be the last gasp of what had been a steadily expanding black presence in mainstream filmmaking." The St. Petersburg Times noted, "Of course, it only took one flop like The Wiz (1978) to give Hollywood an excuse to retreat to safer (i.e., whiter) creative ground until John Singleton and Spike Lee came along. Yet, without blaxploitation there might not have been another generation of black filmmakers, no Denzel Washington or Angela Bassett, or they might have taken longer to emerge." The Boston Globe commented, "the term 'black film' should be struck from the critical vocabulary. To appreciate just how outmoded, deceptive and limiting it is, consider the following, all of which have been described as black films, . . ." and characterized The Wiz in a list that also featured 1970s films Shaft (1971), Blacula (1972), and Super Fly (1972). Despite its lack of critical or commercial success in its original release, The Wiz became a cult classic, especially because it features Michael Jackson in his first starring theatrical film role. Jackson later starred in films such as Disney's Captain EO in 1986, the anthology film Moonwalker in 1988 and the posthumous documentary This Is It in 2009. As of November 2021, The Wiz holds a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 34 reviews, with the consensus; "This workmanlike movie musical lacks the electricity of the stage version (and its cinematic inspiration), but it's bolstered by strong performances by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 53 out of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Accolades See also Adaptations of The Wizard of Oz References External links 1978 films 1970s English-language films 1970s fantasy adventure films 1970s musical fantasy films African-American musical films American fantasy adventure films American musical fantasy films Blaxploitation films Films about witchcraft Films based on adaptations Films based on children's books Films based on multiple works Films based on musicals Films based on The Wizard of Oz Films directed by Sidney Lumet Films set in 1978 Films set in New York City Films with screenplays by Joel Schumacher MCA Records soundtracks Motown Productions films Universal Pictures films African-American comedy films 1970s American films Films about kidnapping Films about