During the “Second Renaissance” of video gaming - the rise of the Nintendo Entertainment System - gaming was at the most fun and uncomplicated point that it ever achieved. Gamers of the first home system generation were coming back into the mix and the youth of America started habitually playing video games en masse. The home market was starting to make serious cash and magazines devoted to gaming were popping up on newsstands everywhere. It wasn’t quite mainstream yet, but it was making its mark, and it was only a matter of time before movie studios noticed and cashed in on video games’ booming popularity.

Of course, this isn’t the first film to have some element that revolved around a video game. Films like Tron, Cloak And Dagger and even a segment of the horror anthology Nightmares all dealt with them to some degree. But all of these films hit before the video game crash of 1983/1984, and with the exception of Tron, none of them ever reached a huge audience. The Wizard was the film of 1989 for video game dorks like me. It was advertised months in advance on television and in Nintendo Power magazine, etc. Everyone my age wanted to see this thing, if for no other reason than it gave a glimpse of the as yet unavailable and incredibly hyped Super Mario Bros. 3. Remember, there was no Internet or downloadable videos of upcoming games back then. The Wizard was a commercial first and a film second.

Instead of the video game heavy drama that fellow geeks like myself were psyched for, we got something a little less exciting; a family road-trip drama with a dash of The Who’s Tommy thrown in. The plot has the sons of a broken family challenged when Jimmy (Luke Edwards, later of Newsies), a near-mute, mentally under-developed child who obsessed about “California” for reasons unknown to the rest of his family, continually runs away from home. When the state removing him from his mother and placing him in a group home becomes a big possibility, his half-brother Corey (Fred Savage, “The Wonder Years”) assists him in running away to California.

At a bus station, Jimmy’s video gaming skills are discovered by Corey when he scores “50,000 on Double Dragon” during the mere minutes that he was trying to haggle the cost of a bus ticket. Meeting up with Haley (Jenny Lewis), another young runaway, they exploit Jimmy’s talent for the monetary gain necessary to get the three of them to California, and ultimately to the Video Game Championships.

Their road blocks aren’t just of the cash variety. Chasing after them is a hired tracker, their mother Christine, father Sam (Beau Bridges), and their brother Nick (Christian Slater). Obviously, all but the tracker have the best intentions, and since the story would be moot if they were found before the finale, the only real enemies they encounter are a bunch of rednecks and Lucas (Jackey Vinson), a video game master that fits the definition of “cool” for all dorks of the late 80s. He’s got the hair, he’s got the loud clothes, he’s got “all” 97 NES games (all of which he’s proficient at) and, more importantly the Power Glove; the hot “must have” Mattel-made game peripheral that was all marketing and rendered most games completely unplayable. I know; I had one.

So what we have here is an incredibly average teen melodrama about runaway children that is seemingly altered to incorporate as many video game references as often and inaccurately as possible. You know what though? It’s still pretty fun to look back on. I dig the namedropping of the games of my youth like Rad Racer, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, The Legend Of Zelda, Ninja Gaiden, and all the additional shameless product placement such as the aforementioned Power Glove and the Nintendo Tip Hotline. The fact the final act of this Universal film takes place in Universal Studios California theme park is even more evidence that it wasn't only Nintendo that wanted to make tons of cash off The Wizard. I even love the unintentionally hilarious dialog written by people who only had the most minor understanding of video games and the kids playing them. “I love the Power Glove. It’s so bad!” and “If he finds the warp, he can jump through it!” are actual lines of dialog.

Of course, all of this ages the actual film terribly. I can’t imagine many of today’s kids caring about it or enjoying it. However, those who were gaming at that time and remember the hoopla surrounding The Wizard are sure to get a kick out of it.

The DVD Presentation
Not bad, but certainly not great, The Wizard is presented for the first time ever in OAR and anamorphically enhanced. This is definitely great news on its own. The fact of the matter though, is that like most 80’s kid-to-teen fare, the film is pretty soft and grainy. Considering how much of this film is spent outside this isn’t surprising, but I still think it could have been improved. Although in fairness, the interior shots look as good as your average current film. The only audio option is an English 2.0 stereo mix and it sounds perfectly fine. Dialogue is clear and the background soundtrack is sharp; perfect for a budget release like this and English subtitles are available for those who require them. For a film of this caliber, The Wizard’s presentation is pretty damn good and better than expected.

I do wish to note that the cover art is weak. Fred Savage never wears the Power Glove in the actual film, and the original poster had great 8-bit graphics on it, including a flying Mario. I wish they would have used it for the DVD; the VHS tape did.

And the Extras Are?
Non-existent –
Seriously, there isn’t a single extra on The Wizard. Not a ONE! Universal should have called me. I would have done a feature on how to KICK FUCKING ASS at Super Mario Bros. 3. That’s right. You bitches couldn’t handle this.

There isn’t even a chapter menu, although the film is divided into 18 of them. What a weak release. You could have at least given us the trailer which has deleted scenes that aren’t even in the movie. If YouTube has it, then so should the DVD.

The Bottom Line
The Wizard is nothing more than a nostalgia trip for first generation Nintendo geeks. It isn’t likely to play well for younger kids today with its melodramatic story line and dated subject matter. It does stand as one of the first films made exclusively for video gamers, so it has some history behind it. Ultimately though, only a small group of people will be drawn to this film, and while this isn’t the best release that The Wizard could have had, it’s probably as good as the film deserves. I’m just thankful to have it, and in 16x9 no less!

One more on my list of films “Only Shawn Cares About” can be crossed off. Now, can someone please help me out with The Legend Of Billie Jean and Night Of The Comet?