Wizards (film)

Wizards is a 1977 American animated post-apocalyptic science fantasy film written, directed and produced by Ralph Bakshi (Bakshi Productions) and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film follows a battle between two wizards of opposing powers, one representing the forces of magic and the other representing the forces of industrial technology.

The film is notable for being the first fantasy film by Bakshi, a filmmaker who was previously known only for "urban films" such as Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic and Coonskin. The film grossed US$9 million theatrically with a $2 million budget, and has since become a cult classic.

Plot
The planet Gaia has been devastated by a nuclear war instigated by five terrorists, and it has taken 2 million years for the radioactive clouds to once again allow sunlight to reach the surface. Only a handful of humans have survived the apocalypse, while the rest have changed into mutants who roam the radioactive wastelands. Eventually, humanity's true ancestors – fairies, elves and dwarves – resurfaced and live in the idyllic land of Montagar in peace for three millennia.

While her people celebrated 3,000 years of peace, their ruler Delia, queen of the fairies, fell into a trance and left the party. Puzzled, the fairies followed her to her home and discover that she has given birth to twin wizards. They were the kindhearted Avatar who spent much of his boyhood entertaining his ailing mother with beautiful visions and his mutated brother Blackwolf, who was pure evil, never visiting his mother, but spending his time torturing small animals. When Blackwolf learned of their mother's death, he attempted to usurp her leadership, being defeated in a duel against a grief-stricken Avatar. Blackwolf left Montagar with a vow to return and "make this a planet where mutants rule".

Years later, Blackwolf has risen to lead the dark land of Scortch, where he and his vast army of goblins, ogres, and mutants salvage and restore ancient technology. He tries to attack Montagar twice, but is foiled both times when his mutant warriors become bored or sidetracked in the midst of battle. Blackwolf then discovers an old projector and reels of Nazi propaganda footage, using his magic to enhance it for psychological warfare: inspiring his own soldiers while horrifying enemy troops into submission.

Meanwhile, in Montagar, Avatar has become a tutor tasked with training the president's daughter, Elinore, to become a full-fledged fairy. Suddenly, the president is assassinated by Necron 99, a robot sent by Blackwolf to kill all believers in magic. Avatar confronts the robot and battles it using brain reading. Necron 99 loses the desire for war and Avatar changes his name to Peace "in the hopes that he will bring it". Avatar learns from the robot that the "dream machine" – the projector – is Blackwolf's secret weapon, inspiring his armies with images of ancient warfare. Avatar, Elinore, Peace, and the elf berserker Weehawk set out to destroy the projector and save the world from another Holocaust.

In a forest inhabited by fairies, Peace has an intuition that something is amiss shortly before the group is accosted by the leader of the fairies, Sean. Weehawk realizes that Peace is missing, when an unseen assassin kills Sean and kidnaps Elinore. Avatar and Weehawk begin to search for Elinore in the forbidden Fairy Sanctuary, but Weehawk falls into a chasm and insists that Avatar leave him and find the girl. He locates her, captured by fairies and small human-like creatures, just as she is about to be killed. Avatar attempts to explain that they did not kill Sean, but the fairies do not believe him and shoot him with an arrow. Wounded in the shoulder, Avatar refuses to fight back, which impresses the fairy king. Instead of executing them, he merely teleports Avatar and Elinore to a snowy mountaintop. Avatar and Elinore resume their journey, despite the poor conditions, but they soon realize that they are wandering in circles. Peace, along with Weehawk (who he saved from a vicious monster in the chasm), find Avatar and Elinore. Together, they find their way out of the mountains. Soon, Avatar and the others encounter the encamped army of an elf General who is preparing to attack Scortch the following day, but Blackwolf launches a sneak attack that night.

Elinore is outside with Peace when she accidentally disturbs his internal conflict with one of Blackwolf's demons, which Avatar quickly dispatches when it attempts to hurt Elinore. But when one of Blackwolf's battle tanks arrives to destroy the camp, Elinore kills Peace, then manages to disable the crew before she climbs into the tank as it drives off with Avatar and Weehawk watching in confusion.

The next day, Avatar and Weehawk enter Scortch by ship and make for Blackwolf's castle, while the General leads his elf warriors in a bloody battle to distract Blackwolf's forces. The pair split up, Weehawk tracking Elinore while Avatar goes after Blackwolf. Weehawk nearly kills Elinore, but she explains that Blackwolf had been controlling her mind ever since she first touched Peace. Blackwolf declares his magic superior to Avatar's and demands his surrender, Avatar admitting that he has not practiced magic for some time and offers to show Blackwolf one last trick that their mother showed him when Blackwolf was not around. Avatar then pulls a Luger gun from his upper left sleeve and fatally shoots Blackwolf. With the loss of their leader and the projector destroyed, the mutants give up fighting. With Montagar's safety secured, Weehawk returns home as the new ruler, while Avatar and Elinore decide to start their own kingdom elsewhere.

Cast

 * Bob Holt – Avatar, an old but powerful wizard. According to Bakshi, he is an old magician who does not trust himself to do the job right, but he has a heart of gold and cares deeply for his friends and doing what is right.
 * Jesse Welles – Elinore, a fiery fairy and Avatar's love interest.
 * Richard Romanus – Weehawk, an elf berserker.
 * David Proval – Necron 99/Peace, Blackwolf's former minion. He is renamed Peace by Avatar.
 * Steve Gravers – Blackwolf, Avatar's evil twin brother and main antagonist of the film.
 * James Connell – President, the leader and Elinoire’s father.
 * Mark Hamill – Sean, son of the king of the mountain fairies and captain of the guards.
 * Susan Tyrrell – Narrator (uncredited).
 * Ralph Bakshi – Fritz/Lardbottom/Stormtrooper (uncredited).
 * Angelo Grisanti – Larry the Lizard (uncredited).