The book did a wonderful job of keeping the secret. The film hit you over the head with the secret in the very first scene, and that was just unnecessary.

I expected SO much more from Christopher “Memento” Nolan, especially with such a good book from which to work.

It only gets a second star for David Bowie’s all-too-brief turn as Nicola Tesla. Inspired casting, that.

Interesting plot…horrible pacing. It took me three times to finally get through the whole movie.

I love this movie, it’s so suspenseful. And why wouldn’t you want to watch a movie that as soon as it’s over you have the need to watch it again. I love it, it’s got great twists and turns and you sit there the whole movie trying to figure it out and at the end you sit back and say: “WHOOOOW! NO WAY! COOL! PLAY IT AGAIN!”

Plus David Bowie is in it! lol

Ok, so here’s the thing.

I really, really liked this movie. A lot. And that’s pretty rare, for me. I tend to see flaws, I expect a lot, I’m easily detached and not easily manipulated. But The Prestige really worked for me in a lot of ways.

And yet—oh, why must there be an “and yet”?—I can’t really say I LOVED it, because it bothers me quite a bit that the “magic” of the plot (pardon the pun) depends on the audience accepting a totally fabricated “scientific fact” within the otherwise realistic world of the story. It’s not fantasy—this isn’t a fantastic world. It’s just a (wonderful, weird, and admittedly very satisfying) TOTALLY MADE-UP THING. And, shades of Erica, I think that’s cheating. Because the movie doesn’t follow any of the other conventions of fantasy—it doesn’t create its own world within which we might be persuaded to accept the veracity of this fantastical element. It just fabricates a thing that can’t, and doesn’t, exist in our world in order to create a surprising reveal at the end. And that just doesn’t work for me, intellectually or artistically.

It kind of works for me aesthetically, which is why I still really enjoyed the movie. :-)

way better than the illusionist. how did it happen that these two period pieces about magicians came out nearly simultaneously?

Nice period piece that keeps you guessing and doesn’t loose all of its magic even after the end. Christian Bale is great as always.

I wasnt all that impresswed with this film, although everyone I had spoken too recommended it with much praise. . . I hate to say it, but they must not be the brighter bulbs in the chandlier. . . this movie was boring, some of the twists were predictable, easy to figure out early on and the ending well, it was just and ending. . . i wasnt impressed with any of the preformances to be honest and well. . . i definetly wouldn’t waste my time or money to see it again.

I think that the illusionist had much more atmosphere, was slightly less predictable, had a better female lead and overall caputred my attntion and held it much firmly than this movie. . .
so, its ok, but it wasnt the best film, if you just want to pass some time folding laundry and want a movie int he background this one is good for it. . .

With the exception of a couple of twists at the end that feel very hurriedly tacked-on, this is not a difficult film to figure out. The result is an entire movie spent checking your watch and waiting for the characters to catch up with you; the condescendingly repetitive way the story unfolds doesn’t help, either.

It’s also lacking the atmosphere that made The Illusionist, thoguh equally predictable, a more charming and watchable experience. A magician movie lacking in presentation? Ouch.

It’s not a bad concept, just a clumsily and poorly executed film.

P.S./Disclaimer: Christian Bale, I still love you.

I figured out the plot “twist” early in the film. There was absolutely nothing good about this movie. The performances were weak, the dialogue was drivel, and the story was hopelessly boring. I can’t remember a movie I hated seeing more than The Prestige. This was a particular disappointment because my expectations were very high.

i was sitting there, watching the presitge and it was a good move and all. lots of twists and turns, well acted, magic, naked lady beside me. but the room was dark and the sky was dark and the film was dark and my computer monitor isn’t light. from a distance, i couldn’t quite make out everything on the screen thus i strained my eyes in hopes that i could make out everything on the screen a little better. two hours later a major headache. two hours and one day later, new glasses.

actually though, i already planned to get those glasses. it’s a good thing they came in though.