Parents' Guide to

The Wizard

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Kids' adventure tale filled with danger and a bit of heart.

Movie PG 1989 100 minutes
The Wizard Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

spencerh
spencerh Adult
January 21, 2019
age 12+

Fun, but lots of language, peril, and insulting a character with a mental disability

This movie got bad reviews upon release but is now a cult classic, so my expectations watching it were mixed. It was a pretty fun movie, with heart and charm, the acting was fine (it was nice to see Christian Slater in a pre-Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves role). However be advised there is a lot of language for a family film. The a-word, s-word SOB and plenty of h-ll and d--n's are used throughout. Also there is a subplot of a bounty hunter trying to locate the title character who has a mental disability. He puts the small child and his brother and their female friend in dangerous situations. Additionally he insults the title character's mental disability by calling him a "space case". Additionally, a group of teenagers hunt down the kids for not paying them money for a bet and punch the kid in the face where he bleeds and takes the title character's hat from him calling him a moron. Sensitive viewers may also be upset by a subplot in which the brother of the main character discusses in detail how their sister died after drowning in a river. It's a fun movie, but be prepared to explain to your children why it is unacceptable to treat people with disabilities the way certain characters treat the title character in this movie. Focus also on the fact that the main character has considerable strengths and is very smart. Also be aware of the language. Although it is obvious this movie is aimed at children 8-11 years old I feel the language alone makes it a better choice for 12 and up.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
1 person found this helpful.
Jawz32
Jawz32 Adult
October 14, 2018
age 16+

It's A Good Movie But I Would Not Recommend This A Family Friendly Movie

This Movie A Good For People That Are 16+ Not For Kids Under 16

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Fred Savage, at his most appealing, plays Corey Woods, a loving young teen trying to save Jimmy, his mentally-challenged younger brother, from life in an institution. The two set off from Utah to California with only a few dollars and a skateboard. On their way they meet a street-savvy girl who joins their flight. When the older kids discover that Jimmy is a true "wizard" at video games and hear about a tournament for gamers with a grand prize of $50,000, their quest intensifies. Back home in Utah, various members of their very dysfunctional family (including Beau Bridges and Christian Slater) and a bumbling detective take off after them. The journey is filled with danger, unpredictability, some good folks and some bad, culminating in a final showdown for Jimmy and his proud pals.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (2):

This film will evoke some comforting nostalgia for parents who played video games when they were kids. The structure of THE WIZARD is much like these old games: Three kids move from one level to another on their way to a big score, meeting an assemblage of opponents of various degrees of danger, all the while being chased by not-so-worthy adversaries who slip and fall and crowd one another off the screen. The resolution is hokey and contrived; the characters are thin and hit the same notes over and over again. The final gaming tournament is abrasively loud and lacking in any suspense. Still, the gifted Fred Savage manages to add heart to an otherwise dismissable movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about children with special needs. How are disabled kids portrayed in TV and movies? Have you seen any changes to these portrayals in the last few years? Are you aware of your own behavior around children with disabilities? How do you imagine they would like to be treated?

  • Corey and Jimmy thought running away was the answer to their problems. What other options did they have? What do you do when you have important issues to deal with in your family?

  • Video games have changed a lot since 1989 when this movie was made. Do you think the violence is more explicit today? Do you think this evolution is a good thing? Were the old games enjoyable without the "realistic" action?

Movie Details

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