Muddled Magic

Rating: 5/10 (10 August 2008)

A couple of magicians develop a heated rivalry around the start of the 20th century in London. Nolan has a nice visual flair but can't elicit good performances from his big-name cast. The acting of Jackman and Bale, the latter sporting a bad English accent, may be kindly described as average. Caine fares better, although he seems to be still playing Batman's butler. Johansson is wasted in a negligible role. The script is so contrived, muddled, disjointed, and utterly ridiculous, and the characters are so poorly developed, that one doesn't care who wins the rivalry. It's a dull and long-winded story with an unsatisfying conclusion.