Summary

• Despite overshadowing by later works, Wizards is a standout sci-fi film that deserves more recognition for its dark themes and animation.
• Wizards' detailed backgrounds and unique character designs showcase Bakshi's masterclass in animation, utilizing rotoscoping effectively.
• Mark Hamill's role as an elf in Wizards should not be overlooked, showcasing his early talent in voice acting before his iconic role as Luke Skywalker.

Although featuring Mark Hamill – that deserves greater recognition.

Wizards centers around the clash between a pair of wizards in a strange post-apocalyptic world where magic and technology co-exist. It's a dark film, notable as Bakshi's first attempt at dipping his toe into fantasy before moving on to later more widely-ed projects. While most of the cast would likely be unrecognizable to modern audiences, Hamill's name stands out. The movie represents one of his earliest works and the start of what has become Hamill's long and varied career in voice acting.

Ralph Bakshi's Wizards Is One Of The Most Underrated Animated Sci-Fi Movies Ever

It Gets Overshadowed By His Later Work

Wizards was only given a limited release in 1977, though it was well-received, developing a fandom that still holds it up as a cult classic. Despite this, the film only holds a 62% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with modern critic reviews largely mixed on their opinion of the film's quality. In the discussion of modern sci-fi classics, Wizards often gets overlooked and largely forgotten despite the strength of its story and the richness Bakshi's animation brings to its world. It deserves more recognition as a stand-out film not just of Bakshi’s work, but in the sci-fi genre as a whole.

Wizards stands as one of the greatest animated sci-fi films, but even among Bakshi's own body of work it's often The Lord of the Rings that gets mentioned before it. Fire and Ice, an animated film produced by Bakshi in conjunction with fantasy artist Frank Frazetta, also tends to be more fondly ed; possibly due in no small part to the huge reputation of Frazetta in fantasy-loving circles of the 70s and 80s. Still, Wizards deserves a spot at the top of the heap alongside these bigger names.

Wizards Is Still A Masterclass In Pen & Ink Illustration

They Just Don't Make Them Like They Used To

Wizards is a classic not just because of its story and themes, but because of the animation styles it utilizes. The film features highly detailed backgrounds contrasted by very simple character designs that stand out from their gloomy surroundings with vibrant colors. These bright and cartoonish characters exist within a world that is sold as dark and decaying by the environments they move through, and the animation flows beautifully from one frame to the next.

Rotoscoping has featured in many of Bakshi's films, involving tracing over frames of live recordings.

Bakshi's work has always had a surreal and even trippy quality to it, and another hallmark of his work is showcased here during the film's battle sequence. Rotoscoping has featured in many of Bakshi's films, involving tracing over frames of live recordings. In Wizards, this makes the battle sequence look like something nightmarish, which only adds to the overall grim tones of the film. While Rotoscoping isn't used much for animation today, Wizards is a masterclass in how to use it effectively.

Mark Hamill Voiced Sean The Elf In His First Voice-Acting Role The Same Year As Star Wars

And Many Forget He's Even In It

Star Wars wasn't the only film featuring Mark Hamill in 1977, though its success overshadowed his other work. He was no stranger to voice acting even at the time, but Hamill was still a relative unknown in the acting world outside of a few small or short-lived roles. He features in Wizards as Sean, the leader of a group of woodland faeries that is killed by an assassin who shortly thereafter kidnaps their Queen. It's not a major role, which is potentially why it often gets overlooked, but a gem like Wizards in Hamill's back catalog is exciting to find.

Wizards is a classic and oft-forgotten film, featuring an actor who has become beloved by animation fans in the years since its release. It's little wonder that the film has reached its cult classic status even now. Filled with grim themes and masterfully done animation, and featuring a phenomenal voice cast that includes a pre-Luke Skywalker Hamill, Wizards has stood the test of time and will continue to be fondly ed, even as it is discovered by new fans who stumble across Bakshi's work.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes