LIONS & TIGERS & SIEGFRIED & ROY.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic Like most things about Vegas superstars Siegfried & Roy, their new IMAX IMAX Noun a film projection process that produces an image ten times larger than standard 3-D movie is as dazzling as it is hokey hok·ey adj. hok·i·er, hok·i·est Slang 1. Mawkishly sentimental; corny. 2. Noticeably contrived; artificial. hok . ``Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box'' is tricked up with all kinds of comin'-at-ya, computer-generated effects that are supposed to evoke a sense of magic being all around us in life. Sometimes they do, but more often they remind you of those old ``Monty Python'' collage interludes, only more expensive and not as witty. The best part of the movie, as is the case with S&R's stage spectaculars, is any of it that involves big cats. The white tigers and lions that the showmen have been so instrumental in preserving are magnificent, even more so in gargantu-o 3-D - and even more captivating cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. in footage showing them at home with the guys, frolicking amid the whacky splendor of S&R's tropical paradise-themed estate. Also like the stage act, there's not enough time spent with the cats. The main thrust of this movie, I think, is to tell the story of two unhappy German boys who found escape in magic tricks This page contains a list of magic tricks. In magic literature, tricks are often called effects. Based strictly upon published literature and marketed effects, there are hundreds of millions of effects; a short performance routine by a single magician may contain dozens of (Siegfried) and communing with animals (Roy), and then found each other. It's hard to tell, though, since the narrative keeps jumping around in time and focus, with snippets of biographical re-creation, bits from the stage show, those weird mechanistic effects and portentous por·ten·tous adj. 1. Of the nature of or constituting a portent; foreboding: "The present aspect of society is portentous of great change" Edward Bellamy. 2. narration by Anthony Hopkins all intermixed and flashed around in an over-edited jumble. The director, Brett Leonard, played similar games with coherence in his feature films, ``Virtuosity'' and ``The Lawnmower Man.'' Anyway, the legend goes that Siegfried and Roy grew up in families that were emotionally shattered by the war, met on a cruise ship where Siegfried was pulling rabbits out of hats and Roy had stowed away his pet cheetah cheetah (chē`tə), carnivore of the cat family, Acinonyx jubatus, native to Africa S of the Sahara and SW Asia as far east as India. , and by combining their two interests into one unusual act started down the magical road to living their dreams. Nice for them, nice for the animals, nice to look at. A little superficial and pretty darn corny corn·y adj. corn·i·er, corn·i·est Trite, dated, melodramatic, or mawkishly sentimental. [From corn1. ? You bet. But hey, it's big and it's dazzling, and Leonard at least films the magic acts in 360-degree uninterrupted shots, which makes them more impressive than anything David Copperfield has done in his fixed-camera specials. ``Magic Box'' will have its pointers and detractors, but this trick has worked so well for so long, how could anyone really want to spoil it? THE FACTS The film: ``Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box'' (not rated). The stars: Siegfried Fischbacher, Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn, Anthony Hopkins (narration), John Summers, Andrew Dunlap, Dillon McEwin, Cameron Alexander. Behind the scenes: Directed by Brett Leonard. Written by Lyn Vaus and Leonard. Produced by Michael V. Lewis. Released by IMAX Ltd. Running time: 50 minutes. Playing: Edwards IMAX, Valencia; California Science Center The California Science Center (sometimes spelled California ScienCenter) is a state agency and museum located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles. Billed as the West Coast's largest hands-on science center, the California ScienCenter is a public-private partnership between the State , L.A.; Ontario Stadium 22, Ontario. Our rating: Three stars. |
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