....hocus bogus................

Rating: 5/10 (23 October 2006)

I found this movie to be ponderous with a bogus ending, deus ex machina. The redeeming grace is the acting by all which was very good. It was great to see David Bowie, as Tessla, in a film again. His trademark two different eye colors, unobscured by matching contact lenses, add to his character's dimension, and "Smeegle" is amusing as Tessla's assistant. The sets and settings were very good, but I'm a sucker for a well put together period piece. The construction of the tricks was interesting and I enjoyed the execution of them throughout the entire film. I don't understand how the viewer rating is so high on this one, it's very long I much preferred "The Illusionist", with it's superior pacing and plot line that was much easier to follow and a better payoff at the end.