mine is 6/10 - it's ok - but like a lot of things from the 70's is starting to look a little loose round the edges - why are those ventriliquist dummy-dolls nearly always creepy ?
shareWhere Magic is good, it's very, very good. Hopkins and Burgess are both outstanding in their parts, and the film has some moments of tremendous suspense and tension. The "five minutes without Fats" scene is some of the best drama I've seen in ANY film.
Where Magic misses, though, it's a little curious. I think another poster said it best: this is a film that's not sure what it wants to be, genre-wise. I also think the pacing is a bit uneven. Sometimes it seems rather abrupt, other times it seems to bog down.
Overall, I give it about 6.75/10 - i.e. Magic is a good film that falls a little short of being great.
10 .. compared to today's crap, it's a gem.
shareI gave it 9/10. I read Goldman's novel first, and it's a 10, but this film is just a tad short of being perfect. Great thriller, though, and no cheap scares or gimmicks (which is odd for a film with this theme).
shareI just watched it on DVD again, and gave it an 8. One of the best 'atmospheric' suspense thrillers I've ever seen, with perfect background music and acting all around.
It's a shame so many today would say this is 'too slow'. I got hooked right in again.
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This, by any standard, should be, IMO, regarded as "recommended." For me, that means a rating of seven or above. MAGIC certainly deserves that (minimally). I saw it in the theater when it originally screened in 1978. I've seen it a half dozen times since. I actually think it gets better with repeated viewings. And Sir Anthony's performance is, if anything, underrated.
I think it's important (well, perhaps not *here*) to stick with one's initial assessment of a film. After all, most people will see it only once, so the first impression helps others (the majority) with decisions on what they'll 'bother' seeing in an increasingly busy world.
That said, my initial rating was a 7. So, even though I think the film is probably better than that, I'll leave it there (knowing full-well it won't be to everyone's taste -- and this will absolutely be true for a modern audience, much of whom will not have the patience for 'thrillers' such as this).
A 9 i just gave it and i think it deserves no less, what a great performance Hopkins gives, some very fine shots and a great story and script.
,,Now this is good... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9HvXMnfwmk