Ralph Bakshi's Wizards: Trippy '70s Fantasy, or Just Plain Trippy?

Okay, so I revisited Ralph Bakshi's Wizards last night. Man, talk about a blast from the past! I remember seeing this on VHS as a kid and being completely mesmerized – and probably a little freaked out. Seriously, what else could you expect from the guy who did Fritz the Cat and that weird Lord of the Rings animated flick? It's... unique, to say the least. The animation style, the rotoscoping, is definitely dated but there’s this scrappy charm to it. Seeing Blackwolf's army of mutants – all fueled by Nazi propaganda films he's projecting (!!!) – clashing with Avatar's elves and fairies? Totally bonkers. And the whole good vs. evil thing, while kinda simplistic, has this surprisingly relevant undercurrent about technology corrupting everything. I mean, Blackwolf is basically using old war movies to brainwash his troops. Remind you of anything? That final battle where Avatar uses a freaking handgun is still wild. Talk about a genre blender! It kinda reminds me of Heavy Metal in terms of its tone. Is it a perfect movie? Nah. The story can be a bit clunky and the animation is, well, rough around the edges. But it's got this weird, creative energy that I still appreciate. For us Gen Xers who grew up on stuff like this, Wizards is a total nostalgia bomb. For younger viewers? Might be a little too out there. Either way, worth a watch just to experience something truly different from the '70s. Maybe lay off the shrooms first, though ;)