The Wizard 1989

 “Now you're playing with power.“


If you ask anybody in the know, they will tell you in no uncertain terms, that The Wizard is a film solely designed to sell Nintendo products. That is true. I'm not going to lie to you. Though I am going to say something that most people fail to mention about this little marketing vehicle that could. The Wizard is so much more than a money printing exercise.
Several things can be true at once. I learned this a few months ago when I decided to finally find out what all the contempt was all about in regards to this little film. Expecting something that was semi enjoyable. If not at least a possible film watching experience, The Wizard surprised me on all levels. The film is not only a time capsule of 1980s video game culture, but it also examines how that culture brings a family back together after a tragedy tears them apart. Grief and sorrow are hard weights to overcome. Sometimes, the only way to do so is to find ways to reconnect, even if those ways are seen as unconventional at the time
So yes, The Wizard is a vehicle for Nintendo marketing, but it is also a story of loss, grief and a family's journey to regain life. In the end, this film conveys a truth, all stories have the capacity to affect us for the better, no matter their origins. Director Todd Holland and his team threw out the script when it came to The Wizard and its marketing mandate. They had the willingness to explore instead what, "Now you're playing with power" actually means to so many now, and at the time of the film's release.

I found The Wizard to be enjoyable, meaningful, and touching. I hope in some way you do too.



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