The Wizard (1989)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Todd Holland

Writer (WGA):

David Chisholm (written by)

Release Date:

15 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

They're on a cross-country adventure to the world's greatest video championship. It's more than a game...it's the chance of a lifetime.

Plot:

A boy and his two friends run away from home and hitch cross country to compete in the ultimate video game championship.

Plot Keywords:

Video Game | Championship | Cross Country | Young Boy | Nintendo

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Luke Edwards	...	Jimmy Woods / The Wizard
Vince Trankina	...	Tate (as Vincent Leahr)
Wendy Phillips	...	Christine Bateman
Dea McAllister	...	Councelor
Sam McMurray	...	Bateman
Beau Bridges	...	Sam Woods
Fred Savage	...	Corey Woods
Christian Slater	...	Nick Woods
Will Seltzer	...	Putnam
Roy Conrad	...	Bus Clerk
Jenny Lewis	...	Haley
Roderick Dexter	...	Trucker #1
Ray Bickel	...	Trucker #2
Chuck Skinner	...	Grease Monkey
W.K. Cowan	...	Salesman #1

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1994) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | UK:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Cabazon, California, USA

Company:

Finnegan/Pinchuk Productions

Trivia:

Was entitled "Joy Stick Heroes" in numerous European countries.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The announcer states in the final round that Lucas and Mora have completed "World 2" of Super Mario Brothers 3. The level is not in fact "World 2", but "World 1 - Stage 3".

Quotes:

[Sam is playing Zelda II The Adventures Of Link]
Nick: Pop I think we got it.
Sam: Wait a second. I'm on the sixth palace of Hyrule. Yeah! I got past the river devil.
Nick: Terrific.
[Turns off the Nintendo]
Sam: What the hell are you doing? I had the magic key. I got the cross. I was closing in on the barbarian!
Nick: You're losing it pop.

Movie Connections:

References Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Soundtrack:

I Found My Way

this was a good movie!

i first saw the wizard back in 1990. i still like it today. to go with the video game plot there is a plot that's bigger than that in this movie.about a kid that almost never talks,and tries to leave on the road a lot.his half brother cares about him more than anybody else does. they both go on a road trip by walking,and sometimes hitching to cali.along the way they pick-up a young teenage girl.that gives them the idea that the kid is good at playing video games,and that they should go to los angeles to enter him in a video game contest if he wins they would'en wanna keep him in a home.the family of the kids brother is after him riding in a truck.also a private investagater hired by the kids mom is also going after him. it is an entertaining movie,and sometimes funny.all in all it's a really fun movie.i give it *** out of ****