Wizards (1977) [Repost]

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Wizards (1977) [Repost]

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In the world of the animation, Walt Disney’s name is usually first on the list of the world’s best known. But when it comes to being one of the most visionary, then you can’t beat Ralph Bakshi.

Having achieved success – and infamy – for creating the world’s first animated porn, Fritz the Cat, back in 1972, Bakshi (who learnt his craft on my favourite cartoon series Rocket Robin Hood) went on to direct the streetwise Heavy Traffic and Coonskin before moving into the fantasy genre in the late-1970s – famously with a brave attempt at bringing JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to the big screen.

His warm-up to that epic was Wizards, released with modest success early in 1977, just three months before Star Wars hit cinemas and changed the sci-fi genre forever.

Bakshi’s post-apocalyptic fantasy concerns a battle between two wizards, one linked to magic, the other technology. Some millions of years after a nuclear holocaust, the world is divided between the Badlands, where goblins and demons dwell, mutated through generations by radiation, and the Goodlands, the realms of fairies and elves, including that of Montagar. During a violent storm, the queen of Montagar gives birth to two sons, one whom grows into the good wizard Avatar, and the other into the evil wizard Blackwolf.

This dazzling adventure is both ambitious and incredibly inventive (the animation owes a big debt to Japanese anime), and after its limited original run quickly became a cult favourite at midnight screenings. It also boasts the vocal talents Mark Hamill, (he was actually filming Star Wars at the same time) who has since made a great career in animation and computer games (he was the original Joker in the 1990′s Batman series).
Movie Talk

This is one of the most brilliant movies ever made. Though the film alters in tone quite often from dark and moody to light and whimsical, it's one of my all time favorite movies. It's Ralph Bakshi's first film aimed at children, but it's actually very intense, violent battle sequences, some mild adult language, suggestive material, and some dark themes that are more suited for older audiences. It's a story of Avatar and Blackwolf, two wizard brothers. Avatar rules the peaceful kingdom of Montagar with wisdom and magic, while the evil Blackwolf rules the dark land of Scortch with technology and war.

It's a great combination of science fiction and fantasy set years into a strange post apocalyptic future where broken tanks, guns, and Nazi propaganda are regarded as ancient artifacts. Wonderful supporting characters include Weehawk, a courageous and cynical elf, Elinore, a young fairy princess whom Avatar is in love with, and Necron 99, a robotic assassin who is turned into a good robot named Peace. This movie has a great deal of symbolism and is very thought provoking, it deals with the power of propaganda and the dangers of the over reliance on technology.

I was impressed by the surreal and creative animation, and I was mesmerized by the mystical and otherworldly music score. The film's climax is brilliant and fits the overall tone of the film. Treat yourself to a symbolic retro-future style film loaded with psychedelic animation, memorable characters, and a truly wonderful adventure that will transport you to a whole new world set ten million years into the distant future.

IMDB Reviewer

Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with director/writer Ralph Bakshi
- "Ralph Bakshi: The Wizard Of Animation" documentary (34:13)
- 2 Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spot
- Still Gallery