That being said, there is a lot about Wizards that is noteworthy, but in my opinion, it's more about the people and business around the film more than the film itself. Written, directed and animated by famed animator Ralph Bakshi, this film not only claims the title of the first animated feature to come out of 20th Century Fox, but it is Bakshi's proof that he doesn't always have to produce the more adult-oriented films like Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic. Of course, that isn't to say that Bakshi doesn't use this opportunity to convey a message ... and in very unsubtle ways at times.
Millions of years after the world has been torn asunder from nuclear war, civilization is a shadow of its former self. On one side is a race of mutants who live in the desolate places in the world, and on the other are the various magical beings, like fairies and elves, who have re-emerged from their sleep after the death of man.
Each side of this new world is led by a wizard. These brothers were born from a fairy queen and they are polar opposites of each other. Where Avatar (Rob Holt) is a kind, lighthearted and jovial character who believes in love, Blackwolf (Steve Gravers) is evil and crazed and spends his time digging up old forgotten technology and war machines in order to prepare for an invasion of Avatar's land.
As a preamble to his strike, Blackwolf sends out an assassin to kill off the leaders of Avatar's land. On the verge of taking out Avatar himself, the assassin is stunned and the good wizard revives him under a new name, Peace (David Proval). Now that Avatar knows of Blackwolf's plan, he, Peace, an elf warrior named Weehawk (Richard Romanus) and Princess Elinore (Jesse Welles) set out to the darker parts of the world in order to stop the evil wizard's plans.
Meanwhile, the mutants, who have been pitiful warriors in the past, are starting to be bolstered by a new discovery of an ancient technology that Blackwolf has unearthed. Learning of Hitler, the NAZI regime and propaganda, Blackwolf is able to make his forces focus more on the battle at hand ... oh and a healthy supply of old tanks, guns, cannons and planes don't hurt either.
Wizard's animation style is a jarring mix of different types styles and media. While there will be scenes involving traditional hand-drawn cartoons, there will be others mixed with filmed and post-processed video, and even more that are a blend of the two. Similar to the mixed style of the animation itself, the backdrops of the scenes will change drastically. Some scenes will use watercolor backgrounds, while others use pen and ink or sketches. While I would imagine the artistic community might find this style inspiring and interesting, I personally found it a distraction from the story that Wizards is trying to tell.
This 35th Anniversary Edition not only comes with a Blu-ray release to show the animated film in high definition (for better or worse), but also a few special features that should interest anyone who this film, or Bakshi, finds appealing. Besides the collection of commercials, both TV and theatrical, there is also a massive collection of stills and concept artwork from the film. What will appeal to most fans though is the half-hour featurette that has Bakshi discussing not only the film and why he made it, but also his career.
I had not seen Wizards previous to this release, and while I can appreciate the history in the film and that it has developed a strong cult following, I find it hard to believe that the 35th Anniversary Edition will cultivate any new fans, so unless you are already someone who knows and loves this film, I would recommend Wizards as a rental at best ... and then only if your friends are pushing you to watch it.
