"I love the Power Glove. It's so bad." We watched "The Wizard" directed by Todd Holland and we're still trying to pass "Super Mario Bros. 3." When this movie was released in 1989 it was the Superbowl, Christmas and Summer Vacation all wrapped into one. A move... about Nintendo... starring Fred Savage - there was no other choice than to Stan. While it's now a cult classic among adults of a certain age (read: Xenniells and older Millenials) it does suffer from an over written plot with a pretty depressing storyline. What could have been a run of the mill, 80's underdog competition movie along the lines of "Karate Kid" or "Rad", set against a Nintendo backdrop, instead we got a sometimes heavy family drama. Overcoming trauma, living with PTSD and a possibly neuro-divergent co-lead is some pretty heady stuff for kids who wanted to see Mario, Luigo, Link and Samus on the big screen. Savage is screaming his performance (no doubt attempting to go toe to toe with Beau Bridges and Christian Slater) but the standouts are Luke Edwards playing the titular video game Wizard and the iconic Jenny Lewis as street smart tough girl Haley. We also get the fantastic use of "Send Me an Angel" by Australian band Real Life. They reeled us in with actual Nintendo games on the big screen - they kept our butts in the seats with sweet behind the scenes Universal Studios action! Oh yeah - and a sweet cameo from the world famous Cabazon Dinosaurs!
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Cover Art by Shaun Piela