Ralph Bakshi (1977)
Wizards is a 1977 American animated post-apocalyptic science fantasy film about the battle between two wizards, one representing the forces of magic and one representing the forces of industrial technology. It was written, produced, and directed by Ralph Bakshi.
Wizards is notable for being the first fantasy film made by Bakshi, who was previously known only for urban films such as Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, and Coonskin. It grossed $9 million theatrically from a $1.2 million budget, and has since become a cult classic.
I like it better, too, in some ways. I believe it would be a great deal of work to recreate a Tolkien novel into a work of animation, but it is sad.
We were just watching Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings like three days ago. My husband likes the cartoon better than the live action movies. But it’s sad that he never finished it…
Bakshi had a terrific vision, but he didn’t see Pixar coming.