Post by Nester the Lark on Aug 27, 2006 17:32:07 GMT -5
Maybe I'm dragging this thread out a little too long (and you'll see why if you read on), but I thought I'd post my own review of the DVD.
The Wizard does gear towards nostalgia-infatuated gamers like me who spent a good part of the late 80's mesmerized by the overwhelming magic of the NES, but this movie is particularly relevant to me. Not only was I into Nintendo, and not only did I know a lot of smart-aleck kids, but I also spent a lot of time traveling with my family on many of the very same roads seen in the movie. It's almost like the movie was made especially for me.
It's not a great movie. You could even call it a bad movie, but it's one of those good bad movies. Strange dialog, inconsistencies, and un-fleshed-out story elements are abound. And yet, the cheesy story, the surprising amount of star power, and, of course, the Nintendo games really give the movie a lot of charm and charisma.
The movie isn't actually about Nintendo games so much as it uses them as a backdrop. Kind of like how Titanic isn't really about the Titanic. The story is more of a rip-off of Rain Man. But I used to know someone who said that the good thing about The Wizard was that it was the only movie (at the time, at least) that actually portrayed video games in a positive light. Most movies use arcades as a place for the juvenile delinquents to hang out. Some people have accused The Wizard of sending the message that Nintendo games can bring families together, but is that really a bad thing?
The DVD is absolute bare bones. I don't think I own a single other DVD that has just a movie on it. But at least it's in wide screen format.
Anyway, I love the movie, despite its flaws. Or maybe it even works because of them. Either way, it's impossible for me to be impartial about it. But as a video game movie, it is unique and does stand out.
And frankly, I'm not too impressed that Jimmy got 50,000 on Double Dragon. I'm impressed that he got 50,000 on Double Dragon in less than 30 seconds!
The Wizard does gear towards nostalgia-infatuated gamers like me who spent a good part of the late 80's mesmerized by the overwhelming magic of the NES, but this movie is particularly relevant to me. Not only was I into Nintendo, and not only did I know a lot of smart-aleck kids, but I also spent a lot of time traveling with my family on many of the very same roads seen in the movie. It's almost like the movie was made especially for me.
It's not a great movie. You could even call it a bad movie, but it's one of those good bad movies. Strange dialog, inconsistencies, and un-fleshed-out story elements are abound. And yet, the cheesy story, the surprising amount of star power, and, of course, the Nintendo games really give the movie a lot of charm and charisma.
The movie isn't actually about Nintendo games so much as it uses them as a backdrop. Kind of like how Titanic isn't really about the Titanic. The story is more of a rip-off of Rain Man. But I used to know someone who said that the good thing about The Wizard was that it was the only movie (at the time, at least) that actually portrayed video games in a positive light. Most movies use arcades as a place for the juvenile delinquents to hang out. Some people have accused The Wizard of sending the message that Nintendo games can bring families together, but is that really a bad thing?
The DVD is absolute bare bones. I don't think I own a single other DVD that has just a movie on it. But at least it's in wide screen format.
Anyway, I love the movie, despite its flaws. Or maybe it even works because of them. Either way, it's impossible for me to be impartial about it. But as a video game movie, it is unique and does stand out.
And frankly, I'm not too impressed that Jimmy got 50,000 on Double Dragon. I'm impressed that he got 50,000 on Double Dragon in less than 30 seconds!