The Prestige vs. The Illusionist
The Troubled Magician Films of 2006
Review the evidence, then
Who knew being a magician would invite so much trouble?
 |
| Title |
The Illusionist |
The Prestige |
| Release Date |
August 18, 2006 |
October 20, 2006 |
| Tagline(s) |
Nothing is what it seems |
Are You Watching Closely? |
|
|
Behind the mystery lies the secrets. Behind the secrets lies an astonishing discovery. |
| Plot Summary |
A man uses magic to woo a woman above his social status. |
Rival magicians attempt to outperform each other with tricks that become ever-increasingly dangerous. |
| MPAA Rating |
PG-13 |
PG-13 |
| Running Time |
110 minutes |
130 minutes |
| Budget |
$17,000,000 |
$40,000,000 |
| Box Office |
U.S.: $39,825,798
World: $84,276,175 |
U.S. $53,082,743
World: $109,000,000 |
| Critics: |
B |
B |
| Audience: |
B+ |
B+ |
| Rotten Tomatoes: |
74% |
75% |
| IMDB: |
7.7/10 |
8.4/10 |
|
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I don’t know how anyone could possibly choose The Illusionist or The Prestige. The Illusionist is good, but The Prestige is so much better.
With The Prestige, it is the big, final reveal that is so compelling. Two competing magicians with a horrible inspiration for a rivalry go to monstrous lengths to out do the other.
In turn, with The Illusionist, it is the big reveal that actually annoyed me. Maybe I’m smarter than the average person, but I didn’t need the “oh, that’s how he did it” moment with Paul Giamatti’s character. I had long since figured it out for myself and that who moment felt utterly contrived; as if they simply couldn’t come up with a good way to reveal the truth.
Most importantly, with the ‘big reveal’ in both films; it took me longer to realize what the big secret was in The Prestige than The Illusionist.