Wizards (1977) ( War Wizards ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, Blu-Ray, Reg.B Import - United Kingdom ]

My rating is more of a 4.5. Thank you for reading in advance! Wizards is a 1977 American animated post-apocalyptic science fantasy film directed, produced and written by Ralph Bakshi and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film follows a battle between two wizards of opposing powers, one representing the forces of magic and the other representing the forces of industrial technology. The hardest part about writing with submitting reviews for these kind of films is deciding how to organize the information. There's just so much to write about! with that said, when I start by saying I enjoyed this film a lot more than I expected to . Firstly, the animation and soundtrack are very aggressively 70s. This alone is not a bad thing, as the story is told in a manner that appeals to both young adults and a more mature audience. not only this, but the animation and color scheme varies depending on what characters are being presented, which makes the association's we are meant to have with them easily understood. The wizards and fairies representing the forces of magic are brightly colored and are animated as very excitable beings. The wizard and his cohorts representing the force of industrial technology are mostly colored using muted palettes and have a much more organized fashion in regards to their animations. This contrast on its own is enough to illustrate the conflict between these two entities - but, hold that thought as I will be coming back to it later. Before starting this film I made a considerable amount of judgements about it; the wording on the theatrical poster for this movie struck me as reflecting some amount of bias the director has in regards to technology and magic. Through a Google search you will see that this film is described as ‘An epic fantasy of Peace and Magic ‘; it certainly isn't crystal clear by virtue of this wording alone, but this seems to imply that peace and magic are two completely separate entities. I don't suppose this counts as a spoiler, but perhaps it would be helpful for the audience to know that peace in this context is a character. More than that, this character becomes a symbol - a tangible one at that- of reconciliation between these two opposing forces (magic/technology), And his behavior varies in regards to whether or not we can label them as either bad or good. His mere existence alone poses a very important question to the audience: when I am deciding that something is either good or evil, what exactly am I looking for and is it possible that the process I've adapted could potentially be lacking in dimension? I went into this with the impression that this film would go to great lengths to highlight the benefits of the differing sources of power that are pitted against one another over the course of the plot. Strangely (and surprisingly pleasant) enough this story does the exact opposite; scenes are craftily inserted into the film to lightly touch on the /weakness/ associated with them instead. Magic - Despite being associated with beauty - can often act as a deterrent(distraction) to a specific goal and in some ways has a way of making people unbelievably naive. Technology, on the other hand, values efficiency over proficiency and can often make characters act on their impulses without taking into consideration the consequences their actions might have on their surrounding community. All right, you can stop holding that thought from earlier. as a means of providing context, this movie is very blunt about the association of the “evil” Character in the story and a figure from history that most sensible people do have a polarized opinion about: Adolf Hitler. Not only does this character embrace Nazi like values related to control and power, but it is explained in concise detail how his adapted techniques work (“Technology is used to control the masses”). This is contrary - and, again, I’m trying to avoid spoilers but it is so hard to do here - One of the “good” characters uses a tool that is unexpected and has up to this point never even been alluded to. I was shocked as I never saw this coming, and I think most people would share that sentiment. This leads to another question: is this an implication that some people may need to lose a part of themselves to overcome adversity, or is the overall message that two very different schools of thought or discipline can have much more in common than people would like to admit. I could go on and on in praising this film and the quality of it- but like any good film some complaints about it really need to be discussed; The totality of the “evil” character’s influence is addressed rather well, but this seems to drop off the face of the Earth soon after their defeat. Some may disagree, but I would say this makes the overall message a little less ambiguous and makes understanding the narrative this story encompasses less clearer. Given my critiques above it would more than fair to say this isn't exactly……..appropriate? When the conclusion is reached the characters seem to be living “happily ever after”, and I don't think this does much to honor the rest of the overall plot and possible character development up to this point. Not only does this seem ike a missed opportunity on the director's part, but this also seems rather ironic given the fact that most Nazi related symbols are associated with events happening more than 30 years prior to the creation and eventual production of this film. I digress, however, because this is simply one defective cog amongst a series of immaculate ones. Smart, entertaining (I actually laughed out loud at parts and I hardly ever do watching movies), and naturally engaging. I simply can’t recommend this film enough!

"An illiumanating history bearing on the everlasting struggle for world supremacy fought between the powers of technology and magic." This intriguing premise lured me in, and by the end, I realized that I was witness to one of the all-time great anti-war anime's, which succeeded in being quite entertaining as well. Films like this seem to be relics of the past, as our culture continues to strive towards ever-increasing levels of sterility and mediocrity concerning all art produced for the masses, especially mass-marketed films and music. I have had no known previous exposure to Ralph Bakshi, so I cannot comment on how this film stacks up against his other works like "Fritz the Cat", "Heavy Traffic", "Coonskin", "Lord of the Rings", "American Pop", "Hey Good Lookin'" or "Fire and Ice". But I did find his style to be a one-of-a-kind visual feast, with a brilliantly conceived plot, and plenty of tripped-out atmospherics (check out that hippy-dippy score!) sure to delight the aurae stimulated herb smokers among us. The story unfolds in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by nuclear holocaust, where radiation in the "badlands" has turned man into hideously deformed mutants. In the goodlands there lives Delia, "Queen of the Fairies" who one night, under grave premonitions, gives birth to a set of twins who are the epitomy of polar opposites. Avatar, an elvish looking wizard, is kind and good, who spends his time growing up entertaining his benevolent mother. Blackwolf, a treacherous mutant, spends his youth torturing small animals. The film moves ahead 3000 years where Blackwolf has taken control of the mutants in a wasteland called "Scortch", and sends the monsters he controls out to obliterate the believers of magic. My favorite lines of the movie come from an old elf who is teaching the village children the wisdom of the ages. "My children, the only true form of technology is nature. All other forms of man-made technology are perversions. The ancient dictators used technology to enslave the masses." He is immediately slain with a sophisticated lazer-gun by one of Blackwolf's assassin's, a red-suited robot named Necron 99. During some of the frequent scenes utilizing the rotoscoping technique, (tracing a live-action film, and then animating the drawings) we are shown sequences of how Blackwolf's previous attempts at world domination are thwarted until he uncovers the secrets of ancient warfare and channels the spirit of Hitler. Now, The world once again faces imminent destruction and domination from the tyrannical forces of fascism. Blackwolf's diametrical brother Avatar lives peacefully in a phallus-shaped castle in the goodlands with an excitable, mask-faced wacko, "The President", and his daughter, the buxom fairie princess, Elinore. After a sneak-attack in which Necron 99 succeeds in assassinating the President, Avatar uses his magic to subdue the killer, and seemingly re-programs him as the aptly named "Peace". "...for this is what he hopefully will bring to pass." The remainder of the movie is a hypnotizing, psychedelic journey following the exploits of Avatar, Elinore, Peace, and the leader of the elves, "Weehawk", as they set off to destroy Blackwolf, and save the good creatures from the sure doom his rule represents. Although in no ways representative of my spiritual views, I found myself quite empathetic to the message espoused in the under-riding, parabolic themes of this film. I would pay no heed to the obviously narrow-minded hacks who have given this one or two stars for a variety of unenlightened reasons, and check this fine work out for yourself. Esp. if you are a fan of anime which seeks to do more than the shallow aims of modern Disney and Pixar. One of the corporate reviews goes on and on about how this film is filled to the gills with ill-advised attempts at humor and how uninspired it is. Well, I guess that's all in how your mind works. Some will no doubt take it that way, but I found the "jokesy" parts to be a skillful form of overt satire, skewering the evil desires found in the dark, desperate hearts of treacherous beasts. I would also recommend Rene Laloux's 1973 epic, "Fantastic Planet", and the short film "Cat Soup", as brilliant pieces of psychedelic, entertaining and intelligent anime with subtle anti-war undertones. As for me, I will now try to get my filthy rookers on the rest of Bakshi's catalogue. P.S. Anyone know when Laloux's "Time Masters" will be back in print?

Had to replace after everything was taken by thiefs

Wizards (1977) aka War Wizards (the name was changed at the behest of George Lucas as he thought two movies released at the same time by the same studio with war in the title, his being Star Wars, would have been off-putting to movie goers) written and directed by Ralph Bakshi, was certainly a departure from some of his previous adult animation works, Fritz the Cat (1972) and Heavy Traffic (1973), but provided Bakshi the opportunity to show he could create a animated feature for all viewers, young and old, that spoke to the viewer on intelligent terms. Were all viewers ready to hear what he had to say? No, and given the subsequent release of Star Wars (like two weeks later) Wizards, which had been enjoying a great amount of success, got pushed out of theaters to allow for space for George Lucas' epic space opera. With this release of Wizards on DVD, maybe now his film will garner the recognition it deserved so long ago. The story goes that the Earth gets consumed in apocalyptic fire as man unleashes his most terrible achievement upon himself, and many years after his destruction, various forms of life begin to come forth, including fairies, elves, pixies along with mutants, beings once humans but changed over thousands of years of exposure to radiation. Almost all technology is gone, wiped from the face of the Earth, and, in its' place, magic has prospered. Born of the same mother are two brothers who become powerful wizards, one good, Avatar, and the other evil, Blackwolf. After a tremendous battle, Avatar vanquishes Blackwolf, but not before Blackwolf issues a statement that indicates he will not go quietly into that good night. Blackwolf, now residing in the poisoned lands with the mutants and nasty things, puts together a massive army, but one lacking proper motivation, and, subsequently, they are easily defeated any time they are sent forth into battle. Tired of his inability to advance proper on his enemies and gain ground, Blackwolf commands that his followers dig up once forgotten technology, hoping to find aid within the scattered remnants of the powerful technology of old. His salvation comes in the form of propaganda films created by the Germans during WWII. Likening himself to the leader of the German forces during this past conflict, Blackwolf uses the films to not only motivate his troops, but to instill fear and dread among his enemies, showing the films in the sky during the battles. This prompts Avatar, his female fairy charge Elinore, the leader of the Elves named Weehawk, and Blackwolf's captured/converted assassin robot re-named peace, to embark on an adventure to discover the source of Blackwolf's new power, and destroy it. Can this heroic group effectively end Blackwolf's reign of terror and end his powerful war machine before all is lost? There's a nice bit of irony at the end, one that really suited the feature. So, is the film any good? I have read many opinions that will tell you it's not, and I can understand why this film would put some off, but I really enjoyed the movie. Bakshi's goal, as I understood it, was to create an animated feature with heart, one that didn't talk down to its' audience, as do other animated features released by other companies, i.e. Disney, do at times. His animation style definitely unconventional, is certainly distinctive, and swims with realism, despite the surface superficialities. I really loved how he incorporated live action footage into the film, enveloping it with animation, creating an eerie superimposed background to various scenes within the movie. The film was rated PG at the time of it's release, so I would be wary of showing it to younger viewers, but I think it's a really wonderful alternative full of heart to the shiny, happy, uber-clean, product tie-in animation put out by the larger profit-driven studios. There's nothing wrong with wanting to make a profit, certainly, but sometimes it seems like these films tend to cater to the lowest common denominator, and be more contrived to make money rather than entertain. The animation may seem crude, disturbing, and misogynistic at times, but this is animation with the sugar coating peeled away, mirroring elements within our society. Do people want to see this in an animated feature? Maybe not, but I enjoyed it, but may find myself hard presses to recommend it to all but the more discriminating viewer. The picture looks really good here in wide screen anamorphic, and there are some wonderful special features including a commentary track by writer/director Ralph Bakshi, theatrical trailers and TV spots for the film, a still gallery with conceptual drawings, and a featurette titled `Ralph Bakshi: The Wizard of Animation'. This provides a wonderful look into the making of Wizards, and Bakshi also provides tons of background on himself, how he got started, his difficulties and successes within the animation business, his motivations for his films, his contempt for animation that talks down to audiences, and his experiences with various individuals during his career. This is the only featuette he's doing for any of his releases, mainly due to his affinity for the project. Some of his comments, especially the ones hinting towards various conspiracies leveled at him, make him sound a little nutty, but make for entertaining viewing. All in all, an excellent release of a great little animated film that went against the conventional grain. Also, keep an ear out for a voice appearance by Mark Hamill as Sean, king of the fairies. Cookieman108

Forgotten gem 💎 from the 70’s.. so glad to finally have in the collection. High priced but worth every penny!

Director Ralph Bakshi, perhaps best known for Cool World and his foray into the world of the Lord of the Rings had a few decent animated offerings prior. Wizards (1977) shows a number of similarities and techniques to those later movies, and for fans of Star Wars or Batman, includes a character voiced by Mark Hamil, before his fame as Luke Skywalker. While one could make comparisons to "Fantastic Planet" (La Planete Sauvage), Heavy Metal, or even some Studio Ghibli of the same period, Bakshi is really out on his own, with adult and sci-fi themes that reflect the time and politics. Despite being set in distant imaginary lands it's also starkly of it's time and of this world. A film you can enjoy for the stylish animation, or to mull over salient points about good and evil, to dive into a world of elves and magic, or jus to try to identify what combination of hallucinogens stirred up the plot. Or all of them. Probably all of them.

In the 1970's before West Coast's PIXAR and during Disney's weak period evolved an East Coast animated independent genius "Ralph Bakshi" (from Terrytoon Studio's). Also full length animated features were not respected by the film academy and weren't expected to have a complex storyline or plot. Until Bakshi arrived only Disney produced full length animated features with success. Bakshi produced at first adult only heavy graphic animated art (Fritz the Cat). But his genius and wonderful animation and storylines had a following and very interested audience. Bakshi Animators were allowed to create the story with much latitude and individual style not like Disney's cramped cookie cutter style of the 70's. Now came "WIZARDS" Raplh Bakshi's favorite film from his pallet of creativity. This 35th Anniversary Blu-ray Book Edition now more than ever shows the artistic marvel "WIZARDS" really was/is. We can now enjoy completely and appreciate Bakshi's passion and genius. This 35th Anniversay Blu-ray Book Edition provides us with Bakshi's full disclosure of this and all his creative genius art work. This man Writes, Directs, Draws and Produces. He has complete control of his product. Just like George Lucas did with Star Wars except Bakshi did not believe in merchandising his creative world. (Note: Both these young genius' worked for FOX and released amazing films in 1977. We all know who became the household name!! But Bakshi genius is preserved forever in this Blu-ray Disc!!!!!!!!) So WIZARDS is a story of two brothers one good the other is evil or in Bakshi's world Imagination and Magic versus Technology and Machinery. The genius is the animation is inaccordance with the brothers amazing stuff!!! This is a must have Edition to our Blu-ray Fantasy library!!!!!!! This "WIZARDS (1977)" set includes; a 24 page illustrated/antimated hard cover book. 1 Blu-ray Disc - 81 minute movie in Blu-ray (PURE EYE CANDY), the SPECIAL FEATURES include; COMMENTARY by Director Ralph Bakshi (his commentary is one of the best, most candid and informative I've ever listened to!!! Bakshi is a very entertaining and interesting character.) Also, "RAPLH BAKSHI": The Wizard of Animation (30 minutes of animation/animator history WODERFUL STUFF), a Still Gallery and Theatrical Trailers. This is a must have movie!!! Also a special note; Bakshi Loved Tolkien so much that after "WIZARDS" he went to see Tolkiens daughter for permission to make an animated version of "THE LORD of the RINGS". With her full endorsement went ahead and made the first half (released in 1978) Also available in Blu-ray!!! Enjoy.

It may be of more interest to animators than those seeking real entertainment. This is a pretty boring movie. The simplistic plot: Avatar, the good guy wizard with a New York accent and Garfield drawl must put a stop to his evil twin brother, Blackwolf, who has summoned the forces of technology and the Nazi war machine to take control of the world. This movie goes on and on. I appreciated some of the animation, kind of a mixture of Fritz the Cat and The Lord of the Rings, Heavy Metal and the Smurfs. But the characters are very flat and generate very little genuine interest, same goes for the simplistic storyline. A much better movie was Rankin and Bass' 1977 'The Hobbit', or 'The Last Unicorn'. I wasn't a great big fan of Heavy Metal and I've still only seen parts of Fritz, but if you didn't care for either of those you'll get more of the same here. If you did like those, then maybe this will be your cup of tea. It's a period piece, granted, but for a real 5 star animation purchase, I would go with Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away' or 'Princess Mononoke', both of which can be watched multiple times with new satisfaction and appreciation gained from repeat viewings. Granted they are post turn of the millenium whereas Wizards is midnight movies era (1978). But I can't imagine anyone sitting through Wizards more than once, and to be honest it is something of a feat to make it all the way through once. This is no 5-star picture. It's not even a 4-star picture. Don't be fooled by the hype on this site - like I was when I bought this DVD! About the best thing this DVD has going for it is the Featurette with Bakshi discussing his work, so you get to see the man behind the cartoon and listen to his ideas, some of which are fascinating, some of which seem somewhat deluded. Bakshi calls this his 'children's film'. Come on! How many children's pictures have you seen that feature nipple-protruding buxom maidens in skimpy outfits running around with debauched old wizards? I gotta say, I liked the artistic style of the work in this movie, whether or not it's a 'kid's movie' - my biggest problem was that, in spite of the hip 'street vibe' that comes through from time to time, and the cool dark artistry of the background scenery - the story just plain sucks. I will say, when Bakshi himself explains the story in a nutshell during his interview, it sounds slightly more interesting than sitting through the 80 minute reality that is this movie. Also, regarding the plot, I think what may be clear in Bakshi's mind in terms of what the story is, didn't come off as clearly as what the movie gave us - and even if it had, it wouldn't have been much better. The story is too simplistic. I doubt kids would get into it even if their parents let 'em watch it (although that fairy maiden IS hard to keep your eyes off). Bakshi claims he wanted to give animation viewers a chance to see 'real' characters - so he adds the element of New York street talk to cartoon fantasy. That's real? Actually, that's the Bakshee trademark and is a brand unto itself. I can respect that. If only the story wasn't so boring. This is mid-night movie fodder - perhaps one needs to be loaded and at the movies - big screen - and with a bunch of other freaks to really enjoy this. The Bakshi featurette is the most interesting thing here. And it's ok even if Bakshi does toot his own horn a bit much. Bakshi's work is all 'heart', Disney is plastic and 'slick', and Wizards would've been a hit if Star Wars hadn't came out at the same time. Fun, but get your grain of salt ready.