Wizards is a 1977 American animated post-apocalyptic science fantasy film written, directed, and produced by Ralph Bakshi. The film revolves a battle between two wizards of opposing powers one representing the forces of magic one representing the forces of technology. Wizards is a fun crazy film. although not a masterpiece the animation is so great and the style so unique for it not to be a great cult classic.
The direction in the film is so unique. With live action footage in the opening credits and single frame animation the film as a very interesting unique visual style. The film has a feeling of a classic children’s fantasy story, as shown early on with the appearance of Blackwolf the villain of the film that creates a great mood for the film. Despite technically being a children’s film, the movie is full of adult content such as fairy prostitutes. There is an interesting visual style throughout the film and has a dark brooding tone. There is an interesting clash throughout the film as the style is a mixture between dark and gritty and a children’s cartoon. There is great brutality in the film with one of the main characters friends dying and Weehawk and Necron 99 falling off a cliff. I love the feeling of the film, there is a great mix of fantasy, gritty adventure and comedy films, the film having both a childlike and adult feeling with big breasted women throughout the film. There is some great direction in the film, such as how Necron 99 is causally standing behind the major before killing him. Despite the grittiness there is light-hearted element to the film with slap stick comedy. The rotoscope animation sequences also give a unique feeling to the film. The tone of the film goes from dark and gritty to a light-hearted kid’s film in a flash making the fil unique. Life action footage is painted over during the battle sequences although done because of time limitations and rough looking it does make the film look very visually interesting.
I love that fact that the characters look at objects from the past such as a Coca Cola sign as religious artifices with is shown with Jewish Rabbis with slapstick humour. The film has a great mood and style with happy kid movie elements which takes a sharp turn such as when one of the elves gets killed. The use of sketchy animation used for Scorch the villain’s kingdom is interesting and fits the visual style. There is something interesting in the fact that the enemy fantasy creatures applied the Nazi ideology, the film also has very visually striking battle sequences with some of the visuals of the enemies looking amazing.
The voice acting in the film is good. Steve Gravers does a good job as Blackwolf giving the villain an evil and imposing voice. Richard Romanus does a good job as Weehawk presenting himself a good heroic figure for the film. Bob Holt does a good. Job as Avatar having an old hangered wizard like voice as well as delivering some god comedic lines. Jesse Welles does a good job as Elinore giving the character a traditional princess voice. David Proval does a good job as Peace as when he becomes good has a slow dumb sounding but kind-hearted voice.
The writing in the film is good. Despite Wizards being a fantasy film, it takes place in a post-apocalyptic future as opposed to a medieval past witch is interesting and unique for the genre. The film was a typical fantasy background setup. Due to a nuclear holocaust the world was ultimately split into good land and Badlands. In the Badlands humans turned into mutants whilst in the good lands they remained human with all the other magical creatures. The leader of the original group gave birth to twins, Avatar the good wizard and Blackwolf the bad mutant wizard. When their mother died Blackwolf tried to seize power, but Avatar fought him off, Blackwolf was defeated however vowed to return one day and create a world were mutant’s rule. The film is full of cool and sleazy stuff such as Necron 99 one of Blackwolfs assassin that is sent to kill the hero’s and fairy prostitutes being of the film. There is an interesting clash between a dark gritty style and a children’s style in the film as well as very cool imagery such as how they showcase Blackwolfs soldiers. Again, this anti-technological future highlights the dangers of technology on mankind making for a technophobic film.
There is good comedy in the film such as Blackwolfs soldiers constantly attacking places but are not effective or the soldier thinks his friend is dead only for him to be alive and him accidently killing him. There is an interesting idea in the film that the overreliance of technology will be the destruction of mankind as shown with Blackwolfs military industrial workshop. There is a funny moment were Avatar explains they must stop Blaackwolfs dream machine before stating he is two old to get involved until Elinor prods him to action as Avatar makes Elinor sit Infront of him as he thinks and stares at her breasts, Avatar has some great line in the film such as Avatar telling Peace not to mess with his companions “especially the broad” and avatar stating “I wonder if I packed my scotch”. There are also nice little moments that are done seriously such as when a fairy child is talking to his mother, the child asks, “why can’t we fight mummy” to witch the mother replies “because they have weapons and technology, we only have love.”
Blackwolf is a somewhat sympathetic villain. He hates himself and his species and wants to birth a human to achieve a normal life therefore he wants to kill his son witch his wife doesn’t want to happen. Wizards has a classic fantasy setting with creates like fairies, during one scene Elinor gets kidnapped by said fairies and it is hard to tell what’s happens as she is captured so quickly. I like how the fairies turn blood hungry and want to kill Elinore and how Weehawk and Peace randomly find Avatar and Elinor. Avatar ends up reunited with an old friend, but Avatar doesn’t like the technology they are using creating conflict as again the films underlying message about the dangers of mankind’s reliance on technology is a theme throughout the film. In a moment that is genially shocking Elinor turns evil kills Peace and goes off with Blackwolf. Avatar then ends up losing it over Elinor’s betrayal. When they are Reunited Weehawk attacks her calling her a “slut” again showing this weird unique adult/kids tone that the film has and as he is about to kill her, she explains that Blackwolf possessed her as we again see Blackwolf’s wife trying to stop the violence. I love how quick the climax is with Avatar shooting Blackwolf calling him a “son of a bitch”. Witch Blackwolf dead the projector is destroyed, and the army surrenders or as the film puts it “Hitler was dead”. At the end of the film Weehawk separates from Elinor and Avatar and they say their farewells and Elinor and Avatar go off together.
The cinematography in the film is good. There are some great shots of cities and landscapes, along with some interesting background art of strange landscapes drawn in a sketch style and great looking backdrops. There is a great moment where a monster is hiding in the smog, and you don’t release its there until it moves. There is a great use of shadows in the film, with some great looking shots such as the shot of Peace on his horse peering over a cliff. Blackwolfs chamber has a swastika on the ground with visually interesting rotoscope sequences. Another visually interesting moment is when the film plays Nazi propaganda in the form of Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will used to rally the troops. Paint is put over live action footage visually interesting as well as good size, scope, and scale with the mountains in the background. The sketchy animation used for scorch is interesting and fits the visual style, as well as this the red coloured ground with the sketch animation is visually interesting.
The animation in the film is great and very visually interesting. At the begging of the film the animation is simply still frames, although limited it does make the film have an interesting unique style. There is an interesting use of overlays and quick edits that although rough presents an interesting style. The main style is that of classic 70s animation, there is an interesting use of the characters walking against backdrops that obviously don’t fit but adds to the uniqueness. There are beautiful artistic backdrops throughout the film, with the main characters being rendering in cartoon animation against beautiful painted backdrops.
There is an interesting animation style throughout the film with a sketch style giving way to a more cartoon style. A lot of the animation style seems to be paint thrown over other footage giving the film a unique visual style with a lot of dark figures originally from other films other films. The use of this rotoscope animation with the backgrounds makes for some truly unique visual imagery. The way the monsters are shown battling with the projected background is an interesting visual, as well as an interesting use of Nazi stock footage to overwhelm the good guys causing them to be slaughtered. There is an interesting use of stock footage used for mother films with paint put over it is creating an interesting effect. Still frame animation is used in certain segments, although this saves on animation and could be considered cheap it does give the film a unique visual style. There is a good use of non-animated footage stuck as when Weehawk enters the fairy’s zone and there is projected imagery of coloured smoke against a black background. There is some interesting snowy mountain background animation and still used to save on footage, which again could be considered cheap but does add to the interesting visual style. There is cool animation with one of Blackwolfs monsters looking like smoke before Avatar destroys it. The rough sketch animation in the film although not great is visually interesting with good shadow animation for the characters. There is also sketchy animation used for scorch which is interesting and fits the visual style. Some of the backdrops are done in beautiful German expressionism style. There is interesting animation with live action rotoscope animation with paint town on it, the use of rotoscoped footage of soldiers again created due to time and money gives the film a unique visual style. There is also live action footage as the hero’s army is being destroyed.
Wizards is a very entertaining unique film. Although not a masterpiece and rough around the edges it has a lot of charm and unique visual flair which makes it to unique not to like.