Wizards | 
| Director: Ralph Bakshi
Actors: Ralph Bakshi, Victoria Bakshi, Jim Connell, Steve Gravers, Angelo Grisanti
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $5.99
You Save: $8.99 (60%)
New (43) Used (19) Collectible (1) from $5.99
Rating:  167 reviews
Sales Rank: 4546
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Color, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 80 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: D2222026D
UPC: 024543120261
EAN: 0024543120261
ASIN: B0001NBMIK
Theatrical Release Date: March 2, 1977
Release Date: May 25, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: All items are guaranteed to play like new or they will be replaced or a refund will be issued.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Far from the masterful treatment that groundbreaking animator Ralph Bakshi gave the similarly themed The Lord of the Rings just a year later, Wizards feels amateurish. A simplistic distillation of fantasy tropes, the scenario is millions of years after nuclear war wipes out civilization. Middle Earth fairies, elves, and magic emerge from the "good lands," while dimwitted mutants with poor comic timing emerge from the nuclear wastes. In the ultimate confrontation between good and evil, a hippie-ish wizard named Avatar defends his utopia against the technological and neo-Nazi revival of his bad-seed twin, Blackwolf. With volleys of jokes that couldn't hit a barn door, elves with Brooklyn accents, and the dubious climax that sees the kindly old wizard using one of the hated machines of war to triumph over evil, Wizards is one of fantasy animation's least successful examples. --Alan E. Rapp
Description
Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, this fantasy adventure follows the story of Avatar, the kindly, eccentric sorcerer-ruler of Montagar, a rainbow paradise inhabited by elves and fairies. Avatar?s evil brother, Blackwolf, dominates Scortch, a bleak land of goblins and wraiths. When the power-hungry Blackwolf attacks Montagar, Avatar, accompanied only by a spirited young woman and a courageous elf, must enter the darkness of Scortch to save his world. WIZARDS is a thought-provoking, kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes that will enthrall animation fans and film lovers of all ages.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 162 more reviews...
 A Little Trick That Mother Taught Me... December 17, 2004
Marc Ruby™ (Warren, MI USA)
34 out of 44 found this review helpful
Unless my memory has failed me utterly this film came out just as I was finishing up graduate school. Bakshi was already something of a god to the revolutionarily inclined of my generation, and there was no question but that a group of us were going to see it. We were wowed, enthralled, and heartened by Bakshi's brilliant combination of a strong story and inventive animation back then. And today, years later, I found myself thinking feeling the same way while watching it again.
For three weeks the film was a smash hit, when one of those weird accidents of fate happen and Wizards was pushed of the stage by the arrival of Star Wars. Suddenly Bakshi's fable was relegated to fond memorys, only to reappear in retrospectives and campus theaters. As you will find out when you listen to the excellent Bakshi interview (more of a monologue), Wizards was the film dearest to the artists heart, the one he felt was his best accomplishment.
Despite its rough language, partial nudity, and high level of violence, Bakshi though of this as a children's tale, albeit one that hewed closer to the true than the sugar coated fantasies that were coming out of Disney's studios. Set in far post apocalyptic times, two brothers are born to a queen of the fairies. One at distorted mutant (Blackwolf) and the other normal (Avatar), both potent wizards. The inevitable clash between then happened, and this is the story of the end of a 3,000 year struggle between the two over the fate of the world.
The story shifts between the two wizards. First the machinations and plots of Blackwolf, as he unearths archaic Nazi technology and turns it into an weapon designed to erase the magical from the world. Then the journey of Avatar and two elvish friends, Elinore and the warrior Weehawk, who are seeking the source of Blackwolf's power.
The story is told with a deft hand as both the narrator and the characters use humor more than dramatic horror to bring the lessons of the film home. The horror, especially that of the battlefield and the aftermath of war is never far behind. In fact it is the these grim scenes that Bakshi displays some of his greatest genius in illustration, using stock footage, illustration, and collage to build an unnerving context.
Even years later, jaded by many hours watching anime, this film still works artistically, and works well. In addition, its messages about the risks of over-dependence on technology and the inevitable losses of war ae just as fresh now, if not fresher. Bakshi was right, Wizards is his best work.
Ralph Bakshi's Wizards April 20, 2000
Stephanie (United States)
21 out of 26 found this review helpful
While it is certainly not for young children, older teens and adults will get a real kick out of "Wizards". Set in a post-apocalyptic world wrought by radiation due to a nuclear holocaust, most humans have died, and the population consists mainly of elves, fairies, dwarves, and then the mutants. The world is in danger from the threat of technology, brought upon by the evil wizard, Blackwolf. It is up to his brother, the comical, yet good hearted wizard, Avatar, to stop him. Joining Avatar in his quest are Weehawk, chief of a tribe of warrior elves, Elenor, fairy princess of the land of Montagar, and Peace, a former assassin of Blackwolf's (formerly known as Necron 99) who changes his ways and fights against the threat of technology. The WWII references abound, and there are many more adult-oriented references throughout. It dares to go where cartoons usually do not, making allusions to sex, prostitution, religion, and there's even a rather racist Vietnam reference if you can catch it. However, I still highly recommend "Wizards", because in all it's brashness, it deserves to be seen. What the animation lacks in quality, it more than makes up for in imagination. It's quite funny, and it also delivers some unexpected twists. I personally really like the way it was done. The music really seems to fit the overall style of it, and the wonderful character designs and voice acting really pulls it all together. I definetely recommend it to anyone searching for something creative and different, and I'm sure any fan of cult classics will definetely want to check it out. However, I stress the importance of having an open mind. I think those who are more open to controversial subject matter will be able to better enjoy it, with all it's dark humor and it's alternative-type feel. I think it is something that everyone should see at least once. It deserves more credit than it has been given, and I think that it will really make people stop and think about our world, and about themselves.
Weird, horrible, funny, enthralling November 11, 2004
Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA)
14 out of 18 found this review helpful
In this 1977 classic, Ralph Bakshi takes us on to an Earth millions of years after a nuclear holocaust. In this new world, humans are reduced to strange mutants, while elves and fairies have returned to claim the better parts of the world. And now, the elf queen has given birth to two sons - Avatar who grows up to be a good wizard, and Blackwolf who grows up to be an evil wizard indeed. But, when Blackwolf begins collecting the old, outlawed technology to lead the mutants in an attack on the lands of the elves, Avatar, along with several allies, sets out to stop him.
OK, I hardly know where to begin with this one. On the positive side, Ralph Bakshi used a number of animation techniques together, which produced some striking effects. There is a lot of emotion in this movie, plus a lot of action and humor. On the negative side, the real weakness of the movie is a lack of plot. Scenes tumble out, often without linking to each other, or to the overall story. Plus, the raw violence, coupled with the suggestively drawn female characters makes it unsuitable for younger viewers.
But, that said, I did enjoy this movie. If you want to see a weird, horrible, funny, enthralling cartoon movie, then this is the movie for you.
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