The Power Glove sucked

The Wizard (1989)

Directed by Todd Holland

Who didn't love Nintendo back in the day. It was the greatest thing next to sliced bread when I was a kid back in the '80's. Apparently some movie producers saw the greatness and decided to make a movie about a handy capable kid that just kicks ass at Nintendo. They got together and but their minds together and said, "hey let's get that kid from TV and make a road video game movie."

That brings us The Wizard, directed by the underrated Todd Holland. He directed Fright Night, also reviewed on this site. The movie for all better purposes is a two hour commercial for Nintendo and more importantly the Power Glove, more and that later. The movie stars Fred Savage in the middle of Wonder Years. It also has Beau Bridges and of course the always underrated Kuffs, I mean Christian Slater. You thought I was gonna say Heathers. 

Fred Savage really delivers the goods in this movie. I really consider this the last of his great movie trilogy. The first is Vise Versa and the second is Little Monsters, soon to the site.  The real star is Luke Edwards as the "special kid" or wizard if you will. The story goes that he lost his twin sister and blah blah blah he goes to California to win $50,000 in a Nintendo tournament. 

Along the way they meet up with a girl that wants in on the money and they meet a bully who owns the worlds only power glove... 

What an asshole. Where was I...oh yeah so the asshole kid beats the wizard and he turns to even more of a tard. While all of this is going on Slater and Bridges and bonding and trying to find his brother and his kid. It is a very long and boring side story with very few video games involved.

Team tard makes it to Cali and off we go to the Nintendo tournament. The wizard kicks ass and we get a clip of one of my favorite games ever Super Mario Bros. 3. First game I ever pre-ordered.  I won't ruin it and tell you if the wizard wins the tournament but he does and all is right with the world.

This is a very long Nintendo commercial and god I love it. It has great games and the power glove and the always delightful Fred Savage, just wish we could have got some Winnie Cooper thrown into the movie.

On a side note my friend owned the power glove and it sucked something awful, it never worked right and you couldn't use it for shit. 

For all of us at the Junkie we welcome The Wizard to our Forgotten Classic vault.

4/10