The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 52

P1? THE OTTAWA CITIZEN FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1989 MOVIES WORLD CLASS SEAFOOD Come sail with us this OTsaird one Docng vMe game ad By Steven Mazey Citizen stall wrilef NEW YEAR'S EVE I he Pavilion is proud aiiO privclwdged to offer you a wide selection of the sea's borntrful harvest from the world over in an age of some of the great special effects tourists are exposed to on the tram-ride through the studios. Oh boy, Mom, when can we go there, when, when? Throughout it all, Savage grins a lot, widens his brown eyes a lot and wiggles his eyebrows, offering in ihort the same rather limited range oi expressions he uses on the television show. Even the usually appealing actor Beau Bridges, who plays dad and must have had some bills to pay when he took the role, can't redeem The Wizard. The writing by David Chisholm consists mostly of sit-com one-liners. "That can't possibly belong to one of the four major food groups," one son cracks to dad as he removes a burned casserole from the oven.

Director Todd Holland, at least, has a promising career in advertising ahead of him. Star ratings: Excellent (5); Good (4); Average (3); Poor (2); Awful (1) atmosphere reminiscent IjSSSarents be warned: vj The Wizard is not so HT much a movie as a ute advertisement for Nintendo. Jfyou have children anywhere fietlffien the age of eight and qcrrejjyou're probably already acquainted with the immensely popular Tiome video game. The whole (amily will become much more familiar with it after seeing this shameless, crass film that contains not a fresh moment, not an interesting scene, not a single laugh. "'Although Nintendo is the real 'focus of the film, the human star otllfee Wizard is Bambi-eyed Flflfl, Savage (of television's The Wmmer Years) as a feisty kid to take his younger Video-whiz brother across country Los Angeles to enter him in a national video game competition.

I They head off without their parents' knowledge (isn't that cute?) and film follows their supposedly wacky misdaventures as they cross the country with parents on trail. of the glorious days of sailing ships. REVIEW THe Wizard Westgate, Vanler, Orleans, Kanata Though the film makes some cheap attempts to work in some mushy emotion along the way about family ties, the movement of the story is always towards what will obviously be the lengthy climax: the video game competition, where there will be lots and lots of close-ups of all those wonderful Nintendo games in action. Just try to keep track of how often the game is mentioned or how many times a Nintendo accessory or game is lovingly, reverently filmed. In one scene, one of the pubescent video experts uses something called the power glove, a hightech glove (sold separately!) which players can aim at the video screen to control the action.

The scene is endless in its effort to show the audience what a wonderful device the glove is, and the surprise is that they aren't selling them in the theatre lobby at the end of the film. (In fact, anyone who goes to see The Wizard does receive a free copy of Pocket Power magazine, I Friday Movie Schedule ff Friday, 7:00 Women On The Verge (aa)1 Of A Nervous Breakdown (subtitles) Friday, 9:30 (also Sal. 3:30 6:45 pin) Fred Savage Wiggles his eyebrows "while supplies last," according to the film's ad.) Nintendo isn't the only thing that gets an extended plug in The Wizard. The film is from Universal Studios, and (what a coincidence!) there is a prolonged chase scene that takes place amidst the Universal Studios tour, with foot AaiXanEiJGHiJEaHy 7:00 HLiib a i 9:00 1 biw rmni iik; Wlii'iilliirry It not about SAT. SEA Of UOVE MIDNIGHT RUN I JaneBtrkin 1 VOLUPTES i A film from France by Agnes Varda ('Vagabond') PREMIERE! Admission S6.

Members S4 (subtitles. AA) BSCy 3 rd EROTIC FILM Saturday Movie Schedule I EVEAYDAC 1:30 Women On The Verge (above) 3:30 KungFU Master! (above. AA) If i Wl VI I 6:45 Kung Fu Master! (above, AA) 2 EROTIC film -C 9:00 The Unbearable Lightness I UPC niwivw.ll Of Being with Daniel Day-Lewis (R) 325 RIDEAU ST. i (near King Edward) 230-FILM 4 SUNDAY BRUNCH Phampagne Orange Juice, Roast Hip of Beel, Roast Ham, Roast Pork, Roast Lamb, Meatballs. Q.

Spare Ribs. French Toast, Scrambled Eggs. Lasagna and other homemade pasta dishes, 30 item salad bar, dessert table, aqp Iresh fruit, plus many more dishes. Children under 12 $4.95 fl $1 .00 OFF BRUNCH PRICE WITH THIS ADI Reservations Recommended TOC 'ICC 326 Richmond Rd. at Churchill I 33 Shrimps Scallops Scampies Lobster Tails Snowcrabs Salad Bar VJU WJ-W Wy Xl CHAMPLAIN ST.

EXIT I 7" 1 Icetf from jSeafood lovers will enjoy our sumptuous platters of their I favourite seafoods. $-fl .95 a la carts menu also available (X0ud VA 9 PARKING I 5 mm (MM ti 43 (3 I CINEPLEX ODEON ORLEANS CINEMAS 250 CENTRUM BLVD. ORLEANS (613) 834-0666 0DHID EczaO (3D Mb, Geo CETjEUD LZ3 UNIVERSAL MREKTAL (MOANCC A Christmas adventure. PRANCER ISM PARENTAL OUtDANC FAMILY Sijbfct to TBO Revengeis UNIVERSAL Cowm LanguaQ MREKTAL (MOANCC Anna Kisselgoff THS NEW YORK TIMES AY STARTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 MOWl WISH DW DOOM TbM DEVHO "This i glasnost at its best" Alexandria Tomalonis TMf WASHINGTON POST 2 onion ADULT ACCOMPANIMENT ADULT THEWAKOf ACCOMPANIMENT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30 8:00 P.M. OTTAWA CIVIC CENTRE Mtuf TtMm Not RaooonMnd4d iarChUren rickets: $17.50 $22.50 Plus surcharges I Tickets oi sa'e now at all TicketMaster location; or charge-it 755-1111 1.