If you like magic and you like movies, you must see...

The Prestige, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Michael Caine, is one of those movies that just works. I must admit, it helped remind me of why I love both performing magic and being the spectator for someone else performing magic. I also admit that it reminded me that Scarlett Johansson is my girlfriend, not that I could forget (just kidding Melissa haha!).

It seems that there are generally two camps on this movie though. Since it came out around the same time as The Illusionist, starring Ed Norton, people tend to be bigger fans of one or the other. While I've been a big Ed Norton fan since the days of Fight Club, American History X, and Red Dragon, I have to side with The Prestige when it comes to comparing the two.

Both movies clearly took a different approach to the old world of magic and stage magicians. Without getting too detailed into the cinematography, screen play, and acting chops, the easiest way to explain the differences in these flics is to compare them to another different, yet surprisingly similar genre -- Super Hero movies.

You want to see something really cool? Let me try this out with you... this is like internet blog magic... basically think of the Spiderman movies and the recent Batman Begins (the one with Christian Bale and Michael Caine and Mrs. Cruise NOT the one with Arnold or Jim Carrey or Tommy Lee). If your idea of a good Super Hero movie is Spiderman then you'll probably like The Illusionist more; however, if Batman Begins just really did it for you, you're going to L-O-V-E The Prestige.

You see, The Illusionist is a love story between a guy and a girl but The Prestige, well actually, yeah it's also a love story. It's just that with The Prestige, it's a love story of a guy wanting to be a totally dope-ass magician who's love for the art leads him to do some pretty crazy stuff.

I think the comparison to the Super Hero genre is actually quite fitting since that's really what magicians are -- Super Heroes. Maybe they're not saving the world from from fruity spidey villians dressed up like it's the Fourth of July, but they're actually doing many of the things these imaginary super heroes do. Maybe that's why we're so fascinated by magicians (I include myself in that), they do things that we thought only existed in the fairy tale worlds of Gotham City, Spidey-land, and Krypton.

Anyways, I've somewhat drifted away from my original point. Go see The Prestige. You'll probably have to watch it twice, but when you watch it the second time, you'll feel like you've just learned your first magic trick and now you're "in on the secret." If you watch it and don't get it, even after a second viewing, then go watch The Illusionist. But while Ed Norton makes that Orange tree grow, just try to keep the image of him putting that kid's mouth on the curb out of sight and out of mind!

Seriously, go rent or buy The Prestige.

P.S. New magic video coming in another day or two.