The Wizard (1989)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Absolutely brilliant

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Lets go back to a time when videogame adaptations basically didn't exist. A time when videogames didn't really mix with movies and any that dared to do so tended to fail ('Tron'). Movies and videogames were different entities that simply didn't mesh. But that didn't stop Nintendo trying to break that mould with this offering.The Plot: Sam Woods (Beau Bridges) is separated from his wife. He lives with his two elder sons Nick (Christian Slater) and Corey (Fred Savage). The boys also have a younger brother called Jimmy (Luke Edwards) who lives with his mother and stepfather. Jimmy did also have a twin sister but she drowned leaving Jimmy suffering from PTSD. Its this PTSD that seemingly causes Jimmy to want to wander off to California. Eventually, after becoming frustrated with his fathers apparent inability to care properly for Jimmy, Corey takes it upon himself to run away with Jimmy to California. On the road they meet up with a young girl called Haley (Jenny Lewis) who is also on her way home to Reno. They decide to team up after discovering that Jimmy is a whizz at any videogame he comes across. Haley will help them travel across the country to a large videogame contest being held in Universal Studios where they will enter Jimmy and split the winnings if he wins.Now when I was a kid (which seems like 100 years ago now) this was one of those movies that I saw and kinda enjoyed but not overly. It was a movie that was engaging mainly because of the videogame element, naturally. I was never really into the family aspect of the movie simply because it was of no interest to me; twas all about the videogames which at the time seemed like eons into the future of what I was used to (the Spectrum 128K and Atari 2600). In fact I can honesty say I found the movie boring as a kid, a case of fast-fowarding through certain parts.Looking back now (as a 40 year old...gulp!) I can honesty say that maybe I was onto something back in the day. Now don't get me wrong this isn't a bad movie per say, its just incredibly average and indeed somewhat dull. I mean just digging a bit deeper into the plot there are so many questions. When Jimmy and Corey run away their parents decide to hire a bounty hunter to find them?? Umm...how about the police?? There really doesn't seem to be much urgency in actually getting the young boys back. I also have to ask why the bounty hunter guy is so...dastardly. I mean this is his job, he's being paid to find these kids, yet he's behaving like a complete assh*le for no apparent reason other than being dumb comic relief.Upon meeting Haley we eventually find out that she's making her way home...on her own? From where? Where has she been? We know her mother has passed on but where's her father at?? The character of Haley is also very much the Mary Sue of this movie if you will; she's like the all powerful lucky charm that can solve any problem, dues ex machina overload. When they need money she knows a truck driver who can gamble for them inside a casino. At the same time Haley is also, apparently, an expert at craps. She knows exactly where to go, who to speak to, and what to do at all times. Yeah OK she's suppose to be more worldly than the boys but come on, she's only about 13 or thereabouts.The main lure of this movie was of course the videogames. The plot was pretty non-existent but Nintendo didn't really care about that methinks. Twas all about the plugs and boy is this movie full of plugs. The funny thing is you don't actually see much videogame action, just lots of snippets of characters playing dotted throughout (mostly from the NES). Such games included are Mega Man 2, Contra, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Double Dragon etc...Watching now its really nothing special to see these games (what little you see) but I do recall that back in the day it was pretty exciting and cool as it was a first essentially. As I said previously, as a kid in the UK with a Spectrum 128K and Atari 2600, the games on show in this movie seemed like something completely out of reach, so futuristic, a massive lure. Hell the sight of the now infamous Nintendo Power Glove was enough to blow my little child mind when that popped up. It looked like the coolest toy ever created...being handled by some even cooler looking kid with a slick lock of hair. Seriously did you see how the camera pans around this kids stoic looking face, its like an aftershave advert. Of course now that entire scene is unintentionally hilarious because we all know how that peripheral turned out (and then there's that kids face). Its also amusing to see all the Nintendo/gamer help lines manned by nerds with stacks of cheat books for every game. My how times have changed.But lets just address what this movie essentially is, apart from a long videogame advert for Nintendo. This movie is basically a kids version of 'Rain Man'...with videogames. Jimmy pretty much is Raymond Babbitt and Haley (not goofy Corey) is a nicer version of Charles Babbitt and instead of gambling its videogames...with a touch of gambling. I can understand why this has become something of a cult but honesty its pretty mundane and unengaging. The cast is quite grand as is the beautiful scenery of rural America, but the plot is thin and honesty nothing much of interest really happens. Bottom line, at a time when 80's (and general) nostalgia is at an all time high and you can find a multitude of retro goodness online at the touch of a button, this kinda fell flat for me. Its perfectly fine as a minor trip down memory lane for games, haircuts, clothes and an early videogame tournament concept (that maniac hosting the contest! Jesus!). But overall as a movie its wholly average at best.5/10

I imagine that if I'd had a stronger childhood connection to "The Wizard", then I'd be better able to appreciate it as an adult. I did see this movie in the theater - I was 9, so naturally I gravitated toward the Nintendo aspect - but no further rewatches until many years later. But it feels like a movie at odds with itself. You've got the competing interests of a family drama (and there's some fairly serious stuff going on here) with a branded product designed to sell NES games and a trip to Universal Studios. They don't gel. There's a "Karate Kid" feel with our contender training and strolling into the tournament, but once he's won (because he's supposed to), then we've got that whole family subplot we still have to sort out in the closing moments. Almost as an afterthought.I know this is a kids' movie and I have no problem with that. But the toy commercial cheapens the serious stuff. Although I do think it's very funny that Lucas Barton has attained his own Internet fame.5/10

A good way of telling if you will like this film is to watch the power glove scene. It shows exactly the nature of this film, and you wouldn't have it any other way. If you like cheesy films, you will probably like this.It is rather hard to vote a film such as this. On one hand, there is such blatant advertising for the SNES/Nintendo in general (as well as a certain amusement park) that it should almost be down-voted to a 1 or 2. It is also incredibly cheesy, even as 80 kids films go.But then on the other hand, this film has an odd goofy nature that really shows when it was from. It also contains some interesting and funny lines and memorable scenes, many which are spoken to or referenced today, for better or for worse.If you did not know, this film in general concerns a young group of kids trying to go to a video game championship themselves. There is an underlying plot, but why spoil anything else here? This film is bad but in a good way. It has just enough charm to prevent it from being bad. There is a whole lot of advertisement but it somehow does not feel as in the face as lets' say Mac and Me. Though it can't exactly be said that this film is good.7.3 Nintendiums out of 10

I was at truck stop shop in northeast Ohio getting a brake chamber replaced. Swapping stories with the other truckers. One was telling us about being around Reno. He heard Spanky over the c.b. "Haley says a grown man touched her in an inappropriate manner. Im gonna find this creep and kick his ass! Who's with me!!". About a dozen replied and said they were in,to include the gear jammer talking to us now. F.Y.I. ,the red Autocar Frank McRae drives is the same Autocar that Stallone drives in "Over The Top".Frank McRae drives the Autocar big rig.Frank McRae is a permanent A list actor!!Wendy Phillips is hot!!---One Truck Drivers' Opinion---erldwgstruckermovies.com