The Wizard, also known as Joy Stick Heroes is a 1989 movie starring Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, and Jenny Lewis. The film follows three runaway children as they travel to California so the youngest, who has a condition that makes him emotionally withdrawn, can compete in the Nintendo World Video Game Championships. The movie was North America's introduction to one of the best selling video games of all time, Super Mario Bros. 3. Todd Holland (b. ... Frederick Aaron Savage (born July 9, 1976) is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated American actor and television and film director. ... Christian Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. ... Beau Bridges, (born Lloyd Vernet Bridges III on December 9, 1941 in Los Angeles, California), is an American actor. ... Jenny Lewis (born January 8, 1976, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is an American singer, musician, and actress. ... Will Seltzer is an actor who had supporting roles in films such as Johnny Dangerously, The Wizard and More American Graffiti Will also auditioned for the part of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. ... Frank McRae (born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 3, 1942) is an American actor and former professional football player. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... “Moving picture” redirects here. ... Frederick Aaron Savage (born July 9, 1976) is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated American actor and television and film director. ... Lucas Daniel Edwards (b. ... Jenny Lewis (born January 8, 1976, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is an American singer, musician, and actress. ... A runaway is a minor who has left the home of his or her parent or legal guardian without permission or has been thrown out by his or her parent. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... “Computer and video games” redirects here. ... Super Mario Bros. ...

Plot

Jimmy (Edwards) is a young boy who has suffered from a serious mental disorder ever since his twin sister drowned in a river. He doesn't interact with anyone, he spends most of his time building things out of blocks or boxes, and he always carries a lunchbox with him. He tried to run away to California many times. The trauma of the drowning and Jimmy's condition has broken up his family: He lives with his mother, while his half-brothers Corey (Savage) and Nick (Christian Slater) live with their father (Beau Bridges). When Jimmy is put into an institution, Corey breaks him out and runs away with him to California. They are followed by a sleazy private investigator (Will Seltzer) hired by their mother, and also by Corey's father and older brother, who compete to find the boys and sabotage each other's efforts. Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing or an absence of mental illness. ... Christian Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. ... Beau Bridges, (born Lloyd Vernet Bridges III on December 9, 1941 in Los Angeles, California), is an American actor. ... A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ... A private investigator, private detective, PI, or private eye, is a person who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or some other entity not involved with a government or police organization. ... Will Seltzer is an actor who had supporting roles in films such as Johnny Dangerously, The Wizard and More American Graffiti Will also auditioned for the part of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. ...

Along the way, they meet a girl named Haley (Lewis), who is trying to get home to Reno. Noticing that Jimmy has an innate skill at playing video games, Haley agrees to help the two reach Los Angeles to participate in a video game tournament with a large cash prize, in exchange for half the money. By doing so, they hope to prove that Jimmy doesn't need to live in an institution. The trio hitchhike across the country, using Jimmy's skill and appearance to hustle people out of their money by playing video games. Along the way, they encounter Lucas Barton (Jackey Vinson), a teenage boy who intimidates Jimmy by showing off his Power Glove and his skills at Rad Racer, claiming he is also entering the championships. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about computer and video games. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Hitchhiking (also called lifting or thumbing) is a form of transport, in which the traveller tries to get a lift (ride) from another traveller, usually a car or truck driver. ... Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising ones skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick. ... The Japanese Nintendo Power Glove, manufactured by PAX The Power Glove (1989) is a controller accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System designed by the team of Grant Goddard and Sam Davis for Abrams/Gentile Entertainment, made by Mattel in the United States and PAX in Japan. ... Rad Racer, known as Highway Star in Japan on the Famicom, was a racing game made for the Nintendo Entertainment System. ...

They finally arrive in Reno, where it is revealed that Haley wants the prize money to help her father buy a house. With the help of a friend, they use money won at the craps tables to train Jimmy on several games in the Reno arcades, using Play Choice 10 machines. They then head to the Championships at Universal Studios Theme Park, where the game they need to play is Ninja Gaiden. Jimmy qualifies as a finalist, but is pointed out to the private investigator by Lucas {another finalist) and the three are chased throughout the park, barely making it to the finals. The game in the finals is Super Mario Bros. 3, and Jimmy wins the tournament at the last second. Craps (previously known as crabs[1]) is a casino dice game. ... The Play Choice 10 was a stand-up arcade video game hardware unit, for which the unit owner could purchase up to ten arcade games. ... The current official logo for Universal Studios Theme Parks Universal Studios Uniglobe // Universal Hollywood Tour From the beginning, Universal has offered tours of its studio. ... Ninja Gaiden is a beat em up game for the NES developed by Tecmo. ... Super Mario Bros. ...

On the drive home with his family (who finally caught up to the children during the finals of the tournament), they stop at a giant building shaped like a dinosaur, a tourist trap at which the family often stopped when they vacationed in California. This is the place Jimmy wanted to go to all along, and he leaves his lunchbox, which contains photographs and other mementos of his sister, at the building. Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... Billboards are used to advertise the attractions Tourist trap is a phrase for any establishment or set of establishments that have been created to attract travelers or tourists and provide products for the tourist to purchase. ...

Criticism

The movie was not well received by critics, recieving a 36% (rotten) rating at Rotten Tomatoes ^[1]. Many commented it was little more than a 90-minute commercial for Nintendo games and Universal Studios Theme Park. Also, many of the situations the children find themselves in, such as walking alone down desert highways or hanging out outside of casinos, are implausible or even dangerous situations. ^[2][3] Many video game players find the movie amusing, however, because of it's campiness. Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ...

The movie is infamous for the number of video game related errors contained within. Some were so blatant that even those unfamiliar with video games, such as critic Roger Ebert, were able to notice them^[2]. These errors include a statement about how Jimmy hasn't taken any damage in the game he's playing (despite the screen showing damage being taken) and claimed high scores not matching what is shown on the screen. There are also many technical errors, such as the video game's background music not matching the action on the screen, games continuing to play without people controlling them, and systems shutting off without the power supply being affected (by pulling out a controller, etc...) Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... High score of the Commodore 64 game Great Giana Sisters. ...

Games featured

The movie featured many NES games prominently. Most of these games are played in arcade cabinets, although the NES versions were never available in this format. They were available, however, for play in arcades on the Play Choice 10. These games include: Nes is: A municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway, see Nes, Akershus. ... This arcade cabinet, containing Centipede, is an upright. ... The Play Choice 10 was a stand-up arcade video game hardware unit, for which the unit owner could purchase up to ten arcade games. ...

• Double Dragon
• Ninja Gaiden (NES)
• Rad Racer
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Several other games, such as Metroid and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, were mentioned or briefly shown. Double Dragon is a 1987 arcade game by Technos. ... Ninja Gaiden is a beat em up game for the NES developed by Tecmo. ... Rad Racer, known as Highway Star in Japan on the Famicom, was a racing game made for the Nintendo Entertainment System. ... Super Mario Bros. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and the second in the Legend of Zelda series of games. ... This article is about the first game in the series. ...

References

1. ^ Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2007-09-07.
2. ^ ^{a b} rogerebert.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-07.
3. ^ Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-09-06.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Wizard at the Internet Movie Database