Plot: What’s it about?
In the world of magic, it’s rare to be able to see behind the scenes, to glimpse at what makes the tricks work. In the old days, you’d have to pay a magician a sum of money to get a partial explanation on how the magic worked, if he would reveal his secrets at all, that is. Often, magicians will claim their magic is just that, supernatural magic, but some are more down to Earth, and admit their tricks are more sleight of hand and misdirection than anything. As hard as it is to find a magician to reveal his trade secrets, imagine how difficult it might be to get a dozen or so to tell you some inside information on the magic realm. That might sound impossible, but that’s exactly what happens in this documentary, with many magicians of all types giving the audience some insight into how they turn their tricks. From misdirection to manipulations of geometry to optical illusions to fraud, it’s all right here in an entertaining and informative piece on the science behind magic.
This documentary originally aired on The Discovery Channel, and is hosted by Harry Anderson. Fans of the television program Night Court will remember him as the lead character, who was always pulling some manner of magic trick, or at least trying. Anderson is obviously engaged with magic, as he has hosted several of these shows, and he seems to have a handle on the duties. His only flaw here is his dialogue, which can be downright cheesy at times, but overall he does a fine job of hosting this documentary. Also appearing in this documentary are many magicians, from those who work in the streets to those who sell out Las Vegas showrooms, they’re all here, ready to discuss their craft and what makes it work so well. You’ll see one magician misdirect people while he takes their watch right off their arm, with them never even noticing, and another who claims he can move an entire volcano right before our eyes. While some of the secrets to the tricks aren’t revealed here, you will at least get a better chance to scrutinize the motions, and perhaps figure it out for yourself.
If you’re a lover of magic, you’ll want to pick up this disc as soon as you can, it’s an excellent exploration of the science that makes magic work. You’ll see students in magic school (yes, magic school) as they learn to make a small red ball disappear in their hand, just by tapping their fist with a wand. This is one trick you can apply in real life, to impress your friends, if you want. Speaking of real life, this piece also looks at the practical applications of magic, such as military uses, although I didn’t quite make the connection as to how magic figured into the equation. It still makes for an interesting segment though, nonetheless. This is an excellent documentary that sheds a little light on what makes magic work, and also includes some great footage of magicians of all types of work. I recommend this release to everyone who likes magic, make sure you look this one up.
Video: How does it look?
The Science Of Magic is presented in the original full frame aspect ratio. Most of the visual presentation looks like broadcast quality, but some sequences appear much sharper, perhaps due to better equipment or techniques. At any rate, this looks sharper than it did on television, which is all you can ask for a television program. The colors look natural in most scenes, but some seem to burst to life with vivid hues, and flesh tones are natural at all times. The contrast is also good, with well defined shadows and no detail loss evident. There are some compression errors, but nothing to worry about, to be honest.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is where this release really shines, with three impressive audio tracks to choose from. You can select a Dolby Digital surround track, a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, or a DTS encoded audio track, what more can you want? I listened to the DD 5.1 and DTS tracks, and they sound awesome. If you don’t think a documentary like this can rock the speakers, you’re wrong. When the music kicks in, or a performance is going on, the speakers come to life quite well. Not as active as an action packed feature film, but given the nature of the content, and excellent track. No volume issues arise though, and dialogue is always clean and clear.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I guess one of the magicians made the supplements disappear, because there are none to found.
