This movie presupposes that people have seen these illusionists on TV

Rating: 6/10 (5 July 2013)

In this movie about the world of magicians, the illusions presented are suitably spectacular. I felt the movie was slick and modern; something suitable for young Americans who have grown up watching these shows on TV.
I think this mildly entertaining movie will have limited appeal to people from countries where programs showing mentalists, illusionists, hypnotists, magicians and so on are not often aired on television.
Those of us who have occasionally enjoyed these shows on TV in the the US and UK may be able to understand the American pop cultural background behind this movie. This film takes this entertainment phenomenon and elevates it to a whole new level by presenting it as something more than it actually is.
My real problem with the movie was that I did not feel like I was watching true "mentalism", "hypnosis", "illusions" or even "magic". With CGI special effects and so on, you can essentially show anything on film nowadays. I was not amazed by any of it, because I assumed it was all just movie magic, not real magic.
It also bothered me that most of the illusions would have required hundreds of technicians, builders, etc. to construct and mount. But we're led to believe that these four did it on their own.