Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

lost-in-limbo Danny Masters is the teenage son of the late Harry Masters "The Greatest Escape Artist in the world, after Houdini". He leaves home to join his Uncle and Aunty, fellow magicians. He wants to follow in his father's steps and he's not that far behind him in doing so, even though his father died what he loved doing. One day while visiting a magic shop he meets the town's Mayor's neurotic adult son Stu, where a strange relationship begins, as Danny and Stu decide to create the ultimate escape, but are Danny's talents being exploited, or does he not care. The theme at hand is engaging just thinking about it and "The Escape Artist" (which is adapted off David Wagoner's novel) is an enjoyably offbeat and wondrously moody drama with some splendid performances. Griffin O'Neal is fitting as the lead and Raul Julia is eccentrically good. The chemistry dynamics between the two demonstrates laughs, but also excitement as it remains unpredictable. There's charming support by Teri Garr, Joan Hackett, Gabriel Dell, Elizabeth Daily and Jackie Coogan. Then there are the likes of Desi Arnaz, M. Emmet Walsh and a minor, but comically good John P. Ryan. Never really heard of it before, but I was pulled in by its charm and mystic with a nice blend of witty humour between the characters and tension within some of the magic tricks. Sure it's a kid's film at heart, but the playful story does have its sombre moments and numerous smokescreen developments. Melissa Mathison (who was behind "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial") pens the screenplay, where it's sharply pitched and ambitious despite some shady details and plenty going on. Even the imagery stands out at times with imaginative touches and perfect timing in its performances and poignant direction.

macduff50 When the movie came out, it pretty much disappeared right away, which is often the fate of small movies, simply because the studios don't bother to advertise them. As well, the film was "pegged" as a kid's movie, which is absurd. It's about kids; and kids could watch it with profit and get excited about it; but where kids see a film about a boy who succeeds ultimately in becoming an "escape artist," and using his talents to defeat the bad guys, adults see a whole different film, one that is about a profound emotional connection a boy has with his father who has died. And this side of the tale is made even more affecting by its only slowly being revealed as the film goes on. One thing that may also have confounded audiences is that it's not a "talky" film. The young hero does things, he doesn't much talk about things, and that makes it a little hard to follow the motivations in places. But it is a lovingly crafted, beautifully put together, piece of work, one that is long long overdue for a release on DVD. The sequence of the young boy cracking the safe is fascinating, as is the dream sequence in the jail where he magically floats his father out of danger. Striking visuals, and a clear dramatic structure. Wonderful. As of last year, I believe American Zoetrope held the rights to the title, and while it is on their list to release, they've had higher priorities (for example, Coppola's "One From the Heart," which is good, but suffers from Frederick Forrest's unfocused performance) so it may be quite a while before this marvelous film is released. Let's hope thatwhen it is released, Deschanel has some say in the process, i.e., we get at least a small documentary on what it's like to make your first film, we get an anamorphic transfer, and we get a reasonably high bit rate for the transfer.If you can find this on VHS, that's not the best way to see it, but it'll do until the DVD comes along. Enjoy

kevino-4 About legacy, and fathers and sons. Much better and deeper than the ratings on this board give it credit for, in my opinion. There is little violence, sex or break-neck action but much boils under the surface and there are powerful moments. This is a fine movie.

Frank Dudley Berry, Jr. This is one of those odd movies which is much greater than the sum of its parts. Leonard Maltin is quite right that it is muddled, and the plot has tons of holes and inconsistencies. The casting is odd and quirky. But when the smoke clears, it stays with you. Maybe it's just the concept of a child prodigy magician. BTW, the contemporary reviews in 1982 were pretty much in accord with this opinion.