The Wizard
by Todd Holland
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Fred Savage, Jenny Lewis, Luke Edwards, Vince Trankina, Wendy PhillipsDirector: Todd Holland
Brand: NBC Universal
Cinematographer: Robert D. Yeoman
Editor: Tom Finan
Producer: Daniel Schneider
Producer: David Chisholm
Writer: David Chisholm
Producer: Ken Topolsky
Producer: Lindsley Parsons Jr.
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-22
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of The Wizard
Movie Review: Three for the Road - Eighties Style!
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Wizard" is somewhat of a cult 80's movie that is fantastic to watch. Actually, I should qualify that. The movie is dated. I think even for '89 it was terribly dated. But if you were a child of the 80's then you could certainly relate to this movie and you will appreciate everything it stands for.
"The Wizard" stars The Wonder Years star, Fred Savage as Corey Woods. Corey is trying to save his younger brother from being institutionalized. Luke Edwards plays The Wizard, aka Jimmy Woods; an emotionally crippled little boy who has trouble articulating his thoughts.
The first 10 or 15 minutes of the movie are somewhat slow-moving. But it really picks up once Corey and Jimmy hit the road and meet Haley. Eighties tween-movie maven, Jenny Lewis plays the part of the very grown-up Haley extraordinarily. They all finally come up with a plan once they see Jimmy ace a video game at a bus station.
So, Jimmy, Haley and Corey all set out to hitch across 3 states (UT and NV) to make it to the video game championships (in CA.) I know this is a little far-fetched and maybe even a little screw-ballish. But think of it from a kid's perspective (after all this is a kid's movie.) Along the way, they have a few adventures in Reno while Jimmy bones up on his gaming. They also have to dodge Tate. Vince Trankina plays Tate, a smarmy detective hired by Jimmy's parents to track him down. It was so funny when Haley screamed, "he touched my breasts" and the security men all carry him out of the casino before he could run off with Jimmy!
They all finally make it to CA, with the help of a trucker that Haley has befriended. Once at the championships, Corey's father and brother also show up looking for them (Christian Slater played Nick & Beau Bridges played Sam Woods.) It gets a little confusing, Jimmy is Corey and Nick's half-brother from Sam's second marriage to Jimmy's mother. It's a shame Christian Slater's part wasn't any bigger because he played a really good tough older brother.
As a kid, my favorite scenes were during the video game tournament. Because, it was the first time I ever saw Super Mario Bros. 3. Eighteen years later, compared to even the most basic games it's like watching an antiquated dinosaur; but it's still fun to watch because it brings back fond memories.
Anyway, the rest of the movie is pretty much predictable. There was a cute moment at the end when it was explained why Jimmy really wanted to go to California in the first place. Also, it loosely made viewers think that Haley was going to live with Corey and his father; at least that was the impression that I got.
"The Wizard" is a great picture for kids because there isn't any violence or profane language. I also recommend this movie to anyone that likes classic video games or to anyone that just likes corny 80's films. If you liked this movie, then you'd probably also like: Baby Boom, Heathers (THX Version), The Princess Bride (20th Anniversary Edition), Troop Beverly Hills, The Witches, Mermaids, Adventures in Babysitting, The Karate Kid (Special Edition), Who's That Girl? and The Best of the Wonder Years.
Also known as "The Joystick King," "The Wizard" was just added to Comcast's on-demand menu. And for 100 minutes I got to forget about my everyday-problems and remember what it was like to be a kid again.
Summary of The Wizard
Fred Savage stars in this warm-hearted family adventure that features the excitement and thrills of video game competition. Corey (Savage) refuses to let his emotionally disturbed younger brother Jimmy (Luke Edwards) be institutionalized, and the two run away together. They soon join forces with a resourceful girl (Jenny Lewis), who notices that Jimmy has a special talent: he is a "wizard" at video games and gets the high score on absolutely everything he plays. Evading their parents and a sinister bounty hunter, the trio head for a climactic showdown at the video game championships in California. Co-starring Beau Bridges and Christian Slater, it's an inside look at the world of video gamers that will have you cheering the whole way! Starring: Fred Savage, Jenny Lewis, Christian Slater, Beau Bridges, Luke Edwards, Will Seltzer, Sam McMurray, Frank McRae, Wendy Phillips, Jackey Vinson Directed by: Todd HollandLess raunchy than Tommy and more conventional than Tron, The Wizard also revolves around gaming. There's even a Bridges on board. In Tron it was Jeff, in The Wizard it's Beau. As opposed to the rock opera?s pinball-playing "deaf, dumb, and blind kid," however, quasi-catatonic Jimmy (Luke Edwards) is a video game wiz. While the nine-year-old lives with his mother, half-brothers Corey (Fred Savage, circa The Wonder Years) and Nick (Christian Slater, fresh from Heathers) live with their father, Sam (Bridges). When Jimmy, who recently lost his sister, is placed in a home, Corey busts him out for a trip to California. (Today, Jimmy's condition would be labeled post-traumatic stress disorder.) As they're leaving Utah, they join forces with gaming enthusiast Haley (Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis), who suggests LA's National Video Game Championships. So, off they go by foot, skateboard, and the kindness of strangers. Sam, Nick, and obnoxious bounty hunter Putnam (Will Seltzer) are close behind. The outcome may be a foregone conclusion--the fractured family makes their peace--but The Wizard still offers a nostalgic, Nintendo-laden look at 1980s gamer culture (Power Glove, Super Mario Bros. 3, etc.). Plus, sharp-eyed viewers will spot Toby Maguire milling around before the showdown at Universal Studios Theme Park. If not for the hitchhiking, gambling, and reckless automotive destruction--after Putnam takes a knife to Sam's tires, Sam smashes his headlights with a shovel--the movie would be appropriate for all ages. In other words, it earns its PG rating. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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