Too much sci-fi?

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2006)

As a fan of old Twilight Zone episodes, I love the surreal aspects of The Prestige, specifically Tesla's quest to create a transporting machine that can turn magic into reality. However, a friend of mine, who does not like this movie, sees this plot as an unfair cop-out. According to him, the film's writer breaks the rules of the film's reality when he allows Hugh Jackman's character to use Tesla's machine to duplicate himself in a science fiction-like manner.
If the writer sees no problem including science fiction in this story, why not just give Hugh Jackman's character the ability to fly? Or better yet, why not have aliens transport Hugh Jackman's character across the stage? Neither option would be more absurd or unrealistic, and in my friend's opinion, both destroy the film's reality in the same manner.