CRITIQUE & REVIEW: "The Prestige"

I liked "The Prestige". It is a good movie. Is it a great, ground-breaking cinematic triumph?

No.

If you like mysteries with a period piece flavor then this movie is for you.

The acting is very, very good. Christian Bale is always great. Hugh Jackman and Michael Caine are fine but unremarkable. Scarlett Johansson is her usual. It is great to see David Bowie working in movies. He does an outstanding job as famed scientist Nikola Tesla. Andy Serkis is great as Tesla’s assistant but I expected him to bust out in a fit of "Precious, my Precious!!!". He may never shake the Gollum character even though he never actually showed up on screen as the despicable character from the "Lord of the Rings" saga.

Look: 7
Story: 7
Acting: 9
Goal: 7
Intangibles: 6.5
Overall: 7
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The above scores are based on a 10-point scale.

• Look has to do with the visual artistry of the film.
• Story rates the how compelling the film’s plot is.
• Acting rates the overall performances of the actors.
• Goal measures the success of the film at accomplishing its goal… does a comedy make you laugh, does a thriller cause goose bumps.
• Intangibles score any special circumstances or accomplishments the movie deserves to be recognized for.
• Overall rating is not an average of the other categories, just this reviewer’s impression of the entire work and how I would rate the film to a friend.