“Be careful not to mess with the balance of things” says the strangely wiseWizards of Waverly Placeintro, making for one ofDisney Channel’s best theme songs. Following wizards-in-training and siblings Alex (Selena Gomez), Justin (David Henrie), and Max (Jake T. Austin),Wizards of Waverly Placeis punchy and delightfully weird.Disney Channel sampled sci-fi and fantasy a few more times with future examples of their characteristic live-action sitcoms, but they all decidedly lack the charm and emotional strength of the story of the Russo family.
Wizards of Waverly Place
Cast
Released in 2007, Wizards of Waverly Place is a comedy fantasy series created by Todd J. Greenwald for the Disney Channel. The series follows a trio of teenage siblings living in a magical portion of New York City as they train to harness their family’s magical legacy while trying to blend in with everyday people.
Wizards Of Waverly Place Is (Live-Action) Disney Channel Fantasy At Its Best
Wizards Of Waverly Place’s Notoriously Shaky Magic System & World Is Still Unique & Charming
We had the clairvoyance ofThat’s So Ravenbefore it and the game-changing animation ofGravity Fallsafter it, butWizards of Waverly Placestill stands out in Disney Channel history for its unique fantasy world-building.The setting is filled with wacky spells and romantic subplots with vampires, werewolves, and angels. In addition to theRusso familyhaving a still-impressively designed lair, the characters occasionally visit other locations that show the all-out approach — from a quirky take on a wizard boarding school to a dream-like angel dance club.
The result is that Wizards of Waverly Place is a satisfying blend of thrilling adventure, campy genre trappings, and hilarious antics.
The setting lends itself to two major, regular components of the story. The first is how the typical setup for every episode is the kids trying to use magic to alleviate their teenage troubles, and it goes wrong. It’s a formula that could get old fast, but Gomez, Henrie, and Austin’s funny, relatable characters make it lively entertainment. The show occasionally veers into higher stakes situations, be it saving the world from anything from a meteor to the angels of darkness. The result is a satisfying blend of thrilling adventure, campy genre trappings, and hilarious antics.
Wizards Of Waverly Place Has A Winning Family Dynamic
The Russo Siblings Love & Love To Prank Each Other, But Their Parents Are Also Likable Characters
The powerhouse ofWizards of Waverly Placeis Gomez as the ever-sarcastic troublemaker Alex,who never lets up on her sharp quips — not even when she briefly appears alongside theWizards Beyond Waverly Placecastmore than 10 years later. Gomez kick-started her career as Alex, a wild teenager who becomes more self-aware and mature throughout the series without ever losing her spark. Henrie and Austin likewise perfectly play her respectively studious and silly brothers, all of them acting out the dynamic of ruthlessly pranking each other.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Review: A Delightful Disney Channel Revival With Unbelievably Funny Kids
Alex asks Justin to train a spunky young wizard in the heartwarming and hilarious Disney Channel revival Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
However, the Russo siblings still care enough about each other to offer advice on everything from first kisses to mastering a spell. Meanwhile, Jerry (David DeLuise) and Theresa (Maria Canals-Barrera) are amazingly realistic, good parents, something I feel is often absent from similar Disney Channel shows that favor making the adult characters comedic. Jerry and Theresa counter each child’s different personalities with a range of wit, aplomb, or plain confusion; the humor of their characters often comes from their responses to the kids' frustrations.
Wizards Of Waverly Place’s Weaknesses Are A Mystery, But Don’t Overshadow Its Strengths
No One Knows Why There Can Only Be One Family Wizard, But We All Still Love The Russo Wizards
The theme song emphasizes a dangerously enchanting environment of otherworldly occurrences, which sets the stage for the Russos' education in handling magic responsibly.There are still a lot of things aboutWizards of Waverly Placethat don’t make sense,and whether it comes across as a charming feature of the goofy world-building or a legitimate plot hole is kind of a hit or miss. People are still askingwhy there can only be one family wizard, and if this will be addressed in the sequel series.
The series' storytelling strengths come through in the scenarios where people aren’t inclined to question these plot points, or where they can at least accept them in service of setting up the character drama. Truly, anything can happen inWizards of Waverly Place. That includes guest stars from other Disney Channel shows (which is expected) and Shakira’s cameo (which is completely bizarre). Luckily, the show is carried by people who play simultaneously grounded and huge personas, and whose status as the main characters of this story makes perfect sense.
Truly, anything can happen in Wizards of Waverly Place.
Furthermore,the narrative is punctuated by some emotional gut punches, like the siblings standing together, the reveal of the events that led up to Jerry and Theresa’s marriage, and the gradual incorporation of Harper (Jennifer Stone) into the family.The cast ofWizards of Waverly Placeare each outlandish in their own way and while they exist in an equally outlandish universe, they still have heartfelt experiences.
