This is a wonderful little film which has been severely ill-treated over the years due to its use of product placement, but it in no way diminishes what is really a very brave and touching movie.
What sets it apart is that it highlights a lot of things which it really didn't have to. It was a bold move to make a kids film and have it heavily deal with many unspoken problems faced by a lot of children. Problems such as dealing with divorce, re-marriage, autism, child PTSD, half-siblings, and estranged parents. It throws in a little innocent teen romance too, and there are plenty of genuinely touching moments from everybody.
Bigger stars Christian Slater and Beau Bridges lend their hand to the movie, and they play well off each other as the father and son searching for their two younger family members. The writer even throws in some genuine layers for the family in the form of a well delivered story by Slater's character.
Of course there are the games, and there is a fair bit of product placement, but surprisingly it's actually quite a small part of the story - at least until the end.
The Wizard is really a road movie about kids trying to reach a goal simply to get there - and that's not a bad message. It's a sweet, funny, and emotional little film with a great soundtrack, and while it could have been an easy and cheesy paycheque job for everyone, the writer and director make a solid and genuine effort to bring us something with some real depth and texture to the characters. There's a reason that this is affectionately known as "Rain Man for kids", and it lives up to the comparison in a smaller, but no less meaningful way.
Replace the games with anything and you'd still have a great film, which just goes to show that they set out to make a good film first and foremost.
What sets it apart is that it highlights a lot of things which it really didn't have to. It was a bold move to make a kids film and have it heavily deal with many unspoken problems faced by a lot of children. Problems such as dealing with divorce, re-marriage, autism, child PTSD, half-siblings, and estranged parents. It throws in a little innocent teen romance too, and there are plenty of genuinely touching moments from everybody.
Bigger stars Christian Slater and Beau Bridges lend their hand to the movie, and they play well off each other as the father and son searching for their two younger family members. The writer even throws in some genuine layers for the family in the form of a well delivered story by Slater's character.
Of course there are the games, and there is a fair bit of product placement, but surprisingly it's actually quite a small part of the story - at least until the end.
The Wizard is really a road movie about kids trying to reach a goal simply to get there - and that's not a bad message. It's a sweet, funny, and emotional little film with a great soundtrack, and while it could have been an easy and cheesy paycheque job for everyone, the writer and director make a solid and genuine effort to bring us something with some real depth and texture to the characters. There's a reason that this is affectionately known as "Rain Man for kids", and it lives up to the comparison in a smaller, but no less meaningful way.
Replace the games with anything and you'd still have a great film, which just goes to show that they set out to make a good film first and foremost.