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I thought it was pretty good.

I've seen some people talk about the "plausibility" of the movie, and that barely interests me at all. No movie is really all that plausible. What science fiction has plausible science? The only example I can think of off the top of my head is 2001: The space meals, the zero gravity toilet, the centrifugal force exercise chamber are all things that future space travel could need and have, with current or near-current technology. And even that movie pushed into the fantastic with a pathological artificial intelligence, and the alien ending.

And magic is a really good metaphor for movie plausibility. We know magic doesn't exist. What we care more about from magic tricks are, are they done well? Are they entertaining? Creative? Maybe the movie is easier to enjoy if you like magic, which I do. I think a good test for a magic trick is, Is it still impressive after you know the secret? And maybe for a movie, after you know the ending?

Anyway, at least nothing comes out of nowhere in this movie. Everything is well established. And I think the way movie ties its secrets into the dialogue and plot is really clever. Plausibility aside, it's tight and logical. Consider when Cutter tells Angier that Bordon must be using a double -- it's like misdirection that's not really misdirection! (Or is it foreshadowing?)


I did think it was easy to identify with Angier's grief and obsession. I think the themes of obsession and devotion to art give the movie substance.

And it's well acted, paced (though it goes over two hours), and it looks good. The nonlinear story-telling is fairly unobtrusive, too. I don't know if it's strictly necessary to the story, but it's not a big part of it (as it was in Pulp Fiction or Memento), in any case.

I think the story works pretty well even if you know the "reveal", though. And if a reveal is ever justified, it'd have to be in a movie about magic.

It's also very consistent. No Metal Gear Solid "bad guys try to kill hero they secretly hope will succeed" crap.

And that helps the acting impress. Consider

how Borden acts in different scenes. The two brothers do have different personalities, and you can often tell who is in a scene just based on the acting. Of course, sometimes the dialogue tells you who is who -- "Maybe today you're more in love with magic." The acting in that scene really was great -- you can read in his face how crushed Borden was at the trick being dismissed as "obvious". Jackman does a good job acting as two different characters, too, though he has less of an opportunity.

Thinking of the last paragraph, I do like the relationships in this movie. I think it is about more than only the reveal, which is just gravy.