A Childhood Dream Come True
K. Foster | London, UK | 05/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One of the first films I saw as a child and I loved it - a true masterpiece. I only ever saw it once and I made a lifelong promise to myself to see it again. Now I hear it may soon go to DVD and the suspense of such a prospect is almost too much to bear! It's a fantastic film, a real treat and a classic well worth adding to any DVD collection."
Quirky Film Worth Checking Out
David Baldwin | Philadelphia,PA USA | 11/10/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Francis Ford Coppola formed Zoetrope studios with the intent of offering offbeat fare that otherwise would not have received financing by the major studios. This was an eminently noble goal but ultimately it was films like this that did not find an audience or widespread distribution that bankrupted Coppola. This should not be an impediment to any adventurous viewer in checking this film out. Though highly imaginative in part the film's central premise is somewhat slight involving a young magician (Griffin O'Neal) who picks the pocket of the ne'er-do-well son(Raul Julia) of a town's corrupt mayor(Desi Arnaz). What elevates the film is terrific performances by the actors not the least young O'Neal. O'Neal in the title role is magnetic and projects a worldliness that betrays his youth. I can't recall O'Neal in any subsequent films but I do recall his involvement a few years later in a tragic boating accident that took the life of Coppola's son. Julia is terrific as well in a part that a lesser actor would have overplayed. Interesting supporting roles include Jackie Coogan("The Addams Family") as a magic shop owner and Gabriel Dell(the Dead End Kids as O'Neal's uncle. Teri Garr, however, is criminally wasted in the role of Julia's girlfriend."
A Never Ending Sense of magic.
I Harris | 11/29/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well what do I have to say about this gem?It is a journey of our five senses into the realms of funny,imaginative,nostalgic,and infinite magic.Five stars are not enough."