There are parts of my life that only make sense if I've seen The Wizard. I can't recall going to the movies to see this movie. But I must have. The way I remember it only works that way. The way I play Super Mario Bros 3 only works that way. This movie was darn near formative for me not just as a person but as a video game player. It's just about everything you could want in a kids movie from the late 80s. Fred Savage, Nintendos, the BLOODY POWER GLOVE. Heck Christian Slater too. And at the time I lived in California so I related to this weird kid saying California the way people relate to Ludacris' _Area Codes_. It's the hypest movie of all video game history. I'd argue it's more hype than _Super Mario Bros_ and for all it's flaws the one thing SMB the movie had was hype so much hype.

The movie holds up fairly well. Better than the power glove IRL which I did see as a kid so I have that going for me. It's a story about a kid achieving his dreams and it's a story about family both the ones you start with and the ones you make along the way. All wrapped up in the excitement of the Nintendo Entertainment System. They could not have produced a better vehicle for themselves. It's got solid acting. You may not be getting Oscar material here but everyone is in for the cause. They're putting forth effort. This wasn't a throwaway film. The plot of easy enough for kids to follow and yet not annoying for adults to watch unlike the aforementioned Super Mario Bros. It's bombastic and fun and everything you kinda wanted a Nintendo movie to be.