00:00Opening night has come and gone for the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere, and audiences are sounding off online.
00:06The classic film got a full Vegas makeover, thanks to AI-powered tools and immersive technology that promised a whole new way to experience Oz.
00:18Opening night kicked off August 29th, and as we previously reported, more than 120,000 tickets were sold before the first screening even began.
00:27The experience is truly immersive, with fog and wind effects dropping viewers right into Dorothy and Toto's tornado scene.
00:35At one point, pieces of foam soap even flew through the air to mimic flying debris.
00:42During the apple tree scene, foam apples fell from above.
00:49And yes, there were even inflatable monkeys flying through the theater.
00:54One user pointed out that it's obvious AI was involved in recreating the film, and they're right.
00:59The Sphere partnered with Google to bring the updated visuals to life.
01:03But not everyone is sold on the tech, and reactions to the AI have been mixed.
01:08Another user said while the experience was interesting, it's not something he'd recommend people pay full price for, unless the tickets were gifted.
01:16They butchered it a lot, they shortened the movie, they made like a lot of 3D figures from the characters, a lot of characters are like all messed up.
01:27Others shared similar views.
01:29One user on X caught it a step in the wrong direction for cinema, writing,
01:33While the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere may be an entertaining piece of media, and an untraditional twist on the movie-going experience, it is a horrendous step in the wrong direction.
01:43And several people in the replies agreed.
01:45Another popular complaint was there were too many phones.
01:49Some audience members felt the constant filming took away from the magic of the moment.
01:53A review from the New York Times noted that younger viewers really enjoyed the experience, and several TikTokers said they did too.
02:00If you want to decide for yourself, there are more than 400 screenings scheduled through March 2026.
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