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Shadow Magic
User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4

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  1. VictorY.
    May 6, 2002
    10
    Accurate, believable, and interesting.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. ChadS.
    Aug 20, 2004
    7
    "Shadow Magic" could've been overblown, a movie, in which the Beijing opera players and still photographers, set out to destroy the westerner's movie equipment as a way of preserving their respective livelihoods. Since Chinese film has such a rich history, the right choice is made to show the advent of film exhibitionism as a cause for celebration, but the acceptance of Shadow Magic should've been preceded by a little more resistance. In particular, Ling (Xing Yufei), the daughter of a great opera star, who sells out her father by romancing Liu (Xia Yu), a boy who loves new inventions more than old traditions. You have to accept the film's license to be nostalgic, as it wants us to believe that a foreigner like Raymond (Jared Harris) wouldn't be more aggressive about amassing a fortune. But "Shadow Magic" works if you like movie history, because the first-hand accounts of how patrons reacted to this new entertainment comes alive on the screen as it's described in books.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. AntalZ.
    Feb 3, 2005
    9
    Simple story has drama and humor in equal doses. Beautifully photographed and well acted. All in all, it's a charming little movie that provides (almost) two hours of first class entertainment.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Mr. Showbiz
    Reviewed by: Kevin Maynard
    68
    Plays like a Chinese "Cinema Paradiso," full of feeling without succumbing to sentimentality.
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  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Loren King
    75
    Succeeds as a paean to movies and movie-watching.
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  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    70
    Evokes the dawn of cinema in China with much charm, humor and subtlety.
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