Reply
Tue 24 Oct, 2006 10:12 am
My wife and I have seen both of these films now (saw The Prestige yesterday). They're both good films, but if I had to chose, I would say The Illusionist is the better of the two.
I found that while The Prestige was interesting, in the end, both of the main characters were rather unlikeable and you didn't care what happened to them.
By contrast with The Illusionist, you were rooting for the couple in love to have a happy ending and for the foul villian to get his.
Both of thes films center around magic, but The Prestige is more about obsession and revenge. I feel it would have been a better movie if it had been told in a more straightforward manner, without the plot twists that left a viewer somewhat confused. The directer tried to be too clever, in my opinion.
If you've seen either one, or both films, I'd be interested in hearing your take on them.
Well, I didn't. However, I will try to get them on DVD one day.
They're both worth your while.
Reyn, I've seen them both, and I like them both.
I like Illusionist for the reasons you did, but I liked the plot twists of Prestige. I'm still thinking about it four days later.
I think there's a huge gap in the budgets of the two films. Hang on, I'll go look that up.
Estimated budgets:
The Illusionist: $16,500,000
The Prestige: $40,000,000
I saw Illusionist weeks ago, and I remember being impressed with how good it looks for the size of the budget.
Yes, I agree. I did have the feel, though, that there was just "one" too many plot turns in The Prestige. It was like, "Let's see how much we can mess with the audience". I don't think it was necessary, and for me it did spoil it somewhat.
You'll have to agree that in the end, both magicians were rather unlikeable characters, and there wasn't the same "rooting for the underdog" like it was for The Illusionist.
But, in the end, they were both fine films. It was nice to see period pieces, for a change pace.
I think it probably comes down to personal preference. They both used magic as the main idea, but they really weren't both about magic.
Thanks for the sugg Reyn, I will watch these when I get a chance.
I saw the Illusionist the first week it was out. Loved it - good old fashioned entertainment. boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl, boy and girl die...well, not really - but I didn't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it.
I would be curious to know your reactions to The Prestige, if you decide to see it - especially compared to The Illusionist.
Waiting,in anticipation,for both to release in the UK
I saw The Illusionist last week and I did like it, very enjoyable from start to finish, although it's very forgettable, don't think I'll be remembering this movie much.
I read about some people complaining about some plotholes in IMDB but I was too busy enjoying the film to notice them.
Are you planning to see The Prestige? If so, would be interested in your opinion in comparison of the two.
Oh yeah, I forgot to say I want to see The Prestige. And I might soon since there's a girl I'm seeing who enjoys the cinema. :wink:
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace