Pick a side

Rating: 3/10 (8 January 2007)

This is a well made movie. The actors, producers and the director did what they could with a very weak storyline/concept. Having said that, it is like saying Chad Pennington (of the New York Jets) is a good quarterback because he plays so well with his very limited abilities. He is good but there is no good reason to go watch him over Tom Brady, a superior player who gets maximum benefit out of his superior abilities.
The storyline is weak because the movie claims the illusionist performs illusions *AND HAS NO SUPERNATURAL POWERS* However, no illusionist a hundred years ago (or any since then) can perform most of the tricks he performed. These tricks can not be ignored because they are central to the movie and the plot can't exist without his ability to do them.
In this case, I believe the writer must pick a side. Either the illusionist has supernatural powers and therefore, all of this makes perfect sense or he performs illusions in which case the illusions must have been performed by someone somewhere in the course of history. This approach of I'll have my cake and eat it too is simply an insult to the intelligence of the astute movie-goer.