A major disappointment

Rating: 5/10 (7 March 2007)

"The Prestige" wasn't really a bad movie, but it did try too hard to be altogether too clever. The problem isn't the cast who are uniformly excellent. The problem is the plot and the script which simply have too many holes, compounded by confusing presentation which jumps back and forth through time and expects the audience to keep up. Not that it's really that hard to keep up, but in the end I got the feeling that it was all just fancy footwork to keep you from realizing just how weak the plot really was.
WARNING: Spoiler ahead!
Without trying to spoil too much, the ending was especially lame and ultimately unsatisfying. Specifically, it morphed without warning from a well-executed character-driven picture with involving the mechanics and psychology of illusion, into a sci-fi film - and not a very good one at that. Nicola Tesla's descendants should sue everyone involved!
A great actor's showcase, but still not recommended...