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List Price: $29.99 | | Label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Salesrank: 436
Released: February 20, 2007 |
| Our Price: $8.99 |
| Used Price: $5.69 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
A Friendship That Became a Rivalry...A Rivalry That Became a Battle.Rival magicians in turn-of-the-century London battle each other for trade secrets. The rivalry is so intense that it turns them into murderers. The title refers to the product of a successful trick.DVD Features:Available Subtitles: Spanish FrenchAvailable Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1) French (Dolby Digital 2.0) Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)The Art of the Prestige GalleryThe Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher NolanSystem Requirements:Run Time: 130 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 786936705157 Manufacturer No: 05065100
Description of The Prestige:
The Prestige attempts a hat trick by combining a ridiculously good-looking cast, a highly regarded new director, and more than one sleight of hand. Does it pull it off? Sort of. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival magicians who were once friends before an on-stage tragedy drove a wedge between them. While Bale's Alfred Borden is a more skilled illusionist, Jackman's Rufus Angier is the better showman; much of the film's interesting first half is their attempts to sabotage--and simultaneously, top--each other's tricks. Even with the help of a prop inventor (Michael Caine) and a comely assistant (Scarlett Johansson), Angier can't match Borden's ultimate illusion: The Transporting Man. Angier's obsession with learning Borden's trick leads him to an encounter with an eccentric inventor (David Bowie) in a second half that gets bogged down in plot loops and theatrics. Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with his Batman Begins star Bale, demonstrates the same dark touch that hued that film, but some plot elements--without giving anything away--seem out of place with the rest of the movie. It's better to sit back and let the sometimes-clunky turns steer themselves than try to draw back the black curtain. That said, The Prestige still manages to entertain long after the magician has left the stage--a feat in itself. --Ellen A. Kim
The Prestige Reviews:
So boring I actually decided to go to bed 
2008-07-24 - I rented this movie on pay per view and it was so boring I decided I'd rather waste $6 than $6 and 2 hours of my life. I decided to turn it off and go to bed early about half way through. As much as I like Jackman and really wanted to like this movie, I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters, nor about the plot, nor enjoy the visual experience of the movie. It was a completely ungratifying experience. I simply cannot understand the reviews that said this movie was so fascinating. What exactly is it they found interesting about it? The magic was unimpressive. The visuals monochromatic and dingy. The whole affair a seedy one, right down to a couple of shallow, unlikable characters trading meanness back and forth. Skip it.
One of the best movies of 2006 
2008-07-22 - I read quite a few other reviews, and from what I could gather is the people that had a problem with this movie are those who do not like to think at a movie and let the movie do the thinking for them. Don't get me wrong, that is all well and good. A lot of people either like this movie or The Illusionist better, and, no offense to these people, are not deep thinking people, at least to the ones that I know. (And most of them admit to being so). This movie is a great mystery movie, and I recommend it to anybody who likes mystery movies.
When I first saw this movie in the theater I did not feel lost at all, but felt more enlightened to the story as it went by. The movie has good twists all the way through it, and the overall theme is great: obsession will eventually consume you.
Batman v Wolverine? No, But a Magic Storyline 
2008-07-20 - Sorry kids, I still liked The Illusionist better. The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)... Great to see Hugh Jackman in something other than X-Men. X-Men Trilogy (X-Men/ X2 - X-Men United/ X-Men - The Last Stand)
Even so, I've been looking forward to this film, written by Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan, based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Priest The Prestige. Naturally I knew the actors from their Batman Begins feature, and wanted to see how they'd act. Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition)
Two young magicians at the end of the 19th century work together on magic acts when tragedy strikes and Robert Angier's (Jackman)wife dies, and he suspects Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) of killing her by tying Robert's wife's hands and dunking her in a tank of water (as part of the act).
The story has plenty of flashbacks, so many I had to rewind a bit or ruminate over the storyline to follow closely. Ain't easy. The film slows in parts, especially the romance parts which is a side story (mistresses, intrigue, etc.) and not as interesting as each magician stooping to anything to discover the secret of teleportation on stage.
A side story in Colorado Springs (awesome photography by the way) with the famous scientist Tesla (inventor of DC current, etc) and some hint of Thomas Edison hiring thugs to destroy Tesla as a competitor (not sure if history was being rewritten here a bit, but I digress). Anyway, Jackman hikes up here, finds a wild electric machine that throws off sparks which, it turns out, may hold the secret to teleportation.
The sci-fi angle is nice and offers a didn't-see-that-coming twist at the end. Scarlett Johansson The Nanny Diaries (Widescreen Edition) is hot as the "other woman", Michael Caine brings a stability to the film, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, well I could not decide who was more of a "bad" guy, Hugh or Chris -- English accents were a bit overdone.
Chris Nolan put together a pretty film, dark and moody colors, brought in the wonder of the Victorian Age without the usual cliches, tight writing though a bit slow at times. The back and forth flashback was necessary but at times annoying.
The DVD itself has a great 'making of' section, explaining Victorian Era morals, their entertainment industry and marketing, who was Nikola Tesla and what a 19th Century magician could really do.
The DVD then is a great package of entertainment and to see Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale outside their comic book element is a sight to see.
As far as magic films, The Illusionist kept me more riveted. As far as murder or sci-fi, it's a three star special. One more star because it's a Christopher Nolan film. Oh boy! Rent today!
Better than The Illusionist.
2008-06-24 - The Illusionist was good, this one is WAY better.
Better story, better actors, better magic.
Excellent direction it held my attention right till the very end.
If your interested in movies based on magic or if your looking for a great alternative to the usual Hollyweird nonsense, then I cant recommend The Prestige any more.
The movie has more twists and turns than a pretzel.
Brilliant from start to finish, simply brilliant.
Recommended.
Prestige is amazing!!!
2008-06-16 - This is a great movie with terrific acting and a compelling plot. Looks awesome on blu ray.
