Wizards of Waverly Place

TV Show (4 seasons, 2007 - 2012); Movie, 2009

Premise - Alex Russo is the middle child in a family of wizards-in-training. Of the three Russo children, only one can become the family wizard, harnessing their full powers in adulthood, leaving the others behind as mortals. In the meantime, the children must keep their magical powers a secret from their normal, high school lives, as they train for their final test.

Review - In all honesty, I don't believe I have actually seen this show in its entirety. Typically, I only write a review for a television show if I have seen every episode, ideally in chronological order. What prompted this review, however, was a nostalgic revisiting of the 2009 Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie that premiered only mid-way through the show. This is significant. In my mind, the film was the pinnacle of the television show. I absolutely loved the movie as a kid, and loved all of the episodes leading up to it. The later seasons of the show, however, that came after the film? I barely remember them, but I do remember they were a relative disappointment.

The film has one of the most dramatic and anticipated scenes in the entire show - the battle for the title of the Family Wizard. By the end of the film, the events of the story have been undone as Alex uses the Stone of Dreams to undo her wish that her parents had never met, effectively undoing her win as the Family Wizard. Of course, the battle for Family Wizard is revisited in the television show's series finale, but it was so much less satisfying than the film. It was as if the film was not part of the Wizards of Waverly Place canon, because the process was entirely different. Also, by this time I was in high school, and not nearly as invested in children's television.

As a result, the Wizards of Waverly Place that sticks with me includes the early seasons, and the film. I'm sure the rest of the show was great too, but I had somewhat grown out of it. I do consider the whole show canon, though, I just can't really give an unbiased review.

The Wizards of Waverly Place that I remember was fantastic. I was obsessed with Disney Channel shows as a kid, particularly those in the 2005-2010 era. Hannah Montana meant everything to me, and Selena Gomez first came on my radar as Hannah's nemesis. I loved Selena Gomez. Still do, to a lesser extent. I think she's absolutely, stunningly beautiful, and I really resonated with the fact that Alex Russo was biracial. She was my hair and style icon, for a while. A true role model. The fascinating thing about Alex Russo as a protagonist was that she was so... bitchy? She teased everyone all the time, was super flippant about school, only cared about boys and parties, and just rubbed everyone the wrong way. Her humor was at the expense of others. But she was popular, beautiful, and frustratingly talented for someone who tried so little. The merit of Alex Russo was that her magic was intuitive. She never studied, she just... did magic. She was not your stereotypical protagonist, especially for Disney Channel Shows that tried to preach a certain morality. She was extraordinarily different from me as a teenager, who tried very hard. I almost resented her, but she's so beautiful and talented you love her anyways. The best exploration of her character was the Wizards of Waverly Place movie, and for that reason it still remains perhaps my favorite part of the show as a whole. (87/100)

Quote - "Be careful not to mess with the balance of things because everything is not what it seems..."

What to watch for - Ughhh David Henrie was so hotttt

If you liked this show, I'd recommend Hannah Montana!

Creator: Todd J. Greenwall
Network: Disney Channel
Film Director: Lev L. Spiro