Wizards

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Wizards

PG,

1977,

1h 20m,

Fantasy/

Animation

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Watchlist

Watchlist

68%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

69%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

After the death of his mother, the evil mutant wizard Blackwolf (Steve Gravers) discovers some long-lost military technologies. Full of ego and ambition, Blackwolf claims his mother's throne, assembles an army and sets out to brainwash and conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Blackwolf's gentle twin brother, the bearded and sage Avatar (Bob Holt), calls upon his own magical abilities to foil Blackwolf's plans for world domination -- even if it means destroying his own flesh and blood.

Critics Consensus

Its central metaphor is a bit too on the nose, but Wizards is an otherwise psychedelic, freaky trip into an alternate version of our world.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Nov 14, 2007

Ralph Bakshi's animated sword-and-sorcery tale is a long way from his best work, marred by cut-rate techniques and a shapeless screenplay.

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A.H. Weiler

New York Times

May 9, 2005

3/5

Mr. Bakshi's allegory is fairly obvious from the outset, but he and his animators are convincingly professional. They have devised a melange of animation and live footage that gives their feature mystical, slightly scary and, occasionally, comic tones.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jul 28, 2026

Produced on a limited budget at a time when animated features were still considered kid stuff, it plays like a PG version of an underground comic book made for the big screen.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Oct 3, 2022

Trippy yet fascinating piece of animation history

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Peter Sobczynski

The Spool

Feb 27, 2022

Even accounting for its messiness, Wizards possesses a genuine, idiosyncratic personality.

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

Jun 19, 2020

2/5

What is at least galavanising and shocking in the context of Bakshi's earlier films seems more like an out-of-control tic here.

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Draco S

Apr 24, 2019

The Nazi subplot is ridiculous. Clearly made by a hardcore Jew. A silly, scattered mess.

Kylo W

Apr 3, 2019

Ralph Bakshi was an innovative visionary ahead of his time. Where some might see haphazard, or even being sloppy many of us see wonderful art. Wizards is a dark, poignant, and prophetic fantasy film about the dangers of a State industrialized war machine-well ahead of his time. Ralphï¿ 1/2 1/2 1/2(TM)s experience as a child of refugees from WWII and the fears of Nazi germany absolutely influenced this fantastic animated film.

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Kylo W

Jan 11, 2019

BORING! Infantile story, drawing, jokes. Couldn't watch it all the way through

Leia W

Jan 10, 2019

Classic tale of good versus evil through the eyes of Bakshi. This is among my favorites of his films and is likely less offensive than the uninitiated would find his other works. I imagine most of the people who didn't like this would be absolutely horrified by most of his other films. Folks seem to be down with Bakshi or they're not; I'm definitely one of the former.

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Hermione P

Nov 17, 2018

Wizards was a welcome change in pace for Ralph Bakshi who finally moved away from urban dramas to create his first fantasy picture and the results are solid and one of his best, but still frustratingly flawed. The film is unsubtle in its thematic approach and the middle parts are lacking in terms of plot development and pacing. The characterization is also quite weak. However, the animation is very strong, the premise is excellent and the film gives us an outstanding, well detailed and vast world thanks to evident attention to detail and terrific world building. It definitely needed a longer runtime to properly capitalize on its epic nature.

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George W

Jul 15, 2018

Wizards, while smaller and lesser-known, is still a magnificent example of classic animation. It's eccentric, thought-provoking, colorful, whimsical, dark, and above all, weird. Nearly everything about Wizards is weird, from the stereotypical but fun fantasy characters, the mixing of animation styles, the WW2 messages, and the strange surrealism scenes that seems slightly like Lord of the Rings drug trips. Ralph Bakshi is truly a master of his craft, and there is maybe no better film of his to truly state that than Wizards. If you can hunt it down, see it.

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Ralph Bakshi

Director

Bob Holt

Avatar

Jesse Welles

Elinore

Richard Romanus

Weehawk

David Proval

Peace

Jim Connell

President

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Synopsis

After the death of his mother, the evil mutant wizard Blackwolf (Steve Gravers) discovers some long-lost military technologies. Full of ego and ambition, Blackwolf claims his mother's throne, assembles an army and sets out to brainwash and conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Blackwolf's gentle twin brother, the bearded and sage Avatar (Bob Holt), calls upon his own magical abilities to foil Blackwolf's plans for world domination -- even if it means destroying his own flesh and blood.

Director: Ralph Bakshi
Producer: Ralph Bakshi
Screenwriter: Ralph Bakshi
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 2, 1977, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 20, 2015
Runtime: 1h 20m

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