'Magic Camp' Review—Absolutely Dazzling

This review is biased. That may not be the most professional way to begin a movie review, but I'm an honest guy, and I got rejected from Rotten Tomatoes a few days ago. Hence, professionalism isn't currently my goal.

From Mark Waters, the director of Mean Girls and Bad Santa 2, comes a new Disney+ original film, Magic Camp. The film follows failed magician Andy Tuckerman (Adam DeVine) as he rejoins his former magic camp as a counselor to a group of aspiring magicians, including a young boy named Theo Moses (Nathaniel McIntyre).

Why is this a biased review? Because on top of my careers in film criticism and filmmaking, I am a magician. I've been learning and doing magic tricks since I was eight years old, and I even attended a virtual magic camp earlier this summer.

So it wasn't easy to be objective as the opening credits played next to archival footage of magicians, past and present, and we are introduced to Theo, a kid doing ribbon spreads with a red Bicycle deck of cards. Because that kid was me, and part of me still is that kid playing with cards in his room.

But you didn't click on this review to read my autobiography, so I'm going to tell you how I felt about this film. Magic Camp is an entertaining family film that will keep children entertained, make them laugh, and hopefully inspire the future of magic.

The film follows Theo, as his late father enrolls him at the Institute of Magic. Theo plays around with a deck of cards his father gave him before he died, and he is still coming to terms with this tragedy. Meanwhile, Andy is a failed magician who shares a bitter history with successful Vegas magician Kristina Darkwood.

Andy and Theo are the two main players of the ensemble cast, and they are well-developed characters. The two of them are facing internal conflicts, and they have a sad backstory that affects them. It's fascinating to watch these two grow and help each other throughout the film.

Furthermore, the supporting characters have a lot of screen time in the film, and they stand out as well, each of them with a quirk or a conflict that makes them more unique rather than a bunch of forgettable, disposable characters.

One character loves rabbits and birds but is reluctant to touch them. Another has a father who is a famous magician, and he is living under his shadow. Even the film's love interest, who doesn't have too much time in the movie, is always sneaking out of meetings, and she feels as if her parents only sign her up for magic camp to get her out of the house.

Every character grows throughout the film, and they all have well-written arcs while also becoming better magicians as Andy and his encouragement inspire them. It's very heartwarming and satisfying to watch these characters and their resolutions at the end of the film.

It's baffling that a family film released on Disney+ has better character development than most of the mature blockbusters made for teenagers and adults.

But I won't pretend that all the characters were perfect. Theo's friend is Nathan, a stereotypical nerd with a lot of allergies and likes math. The antagonist of the film is Vic, a cocky magician who picks on the main characters. These characters feel like archetypes for "the nerd" and "the bully" and are very cliché.

The performances are surprisingly excellent, especially from the children who all sell their characters. Adam DeVine acts and sounds a bit like Jack Black in School of Rock in this film, but he has a charismatic presence, and he sells the magician's showmanship.

Honestly, the film's "weakness" lies in its predictability, as it's a very formulaic movie that hits the beats you would expect from a film like this. While the best part of a magic trick is the surprise, surprises may be the only thing this film lacks.

Magic Camp goes down a familiar path, and it's easy to tell how the story will play out based on the premise alone. But if it had deviated from the story beats, the result would have been unsatisfying. The formula we have been nurtured with keeps us satisfied and happy.

And I can't complain about how this movie is fun. It's having a blast. For example, the film has that slow-motion group-walking scene that we are all familiar with. However, as Nathan walks with the group, he sprays artificial smoke from a can to overdramatize the moment in self-aware fashion.

The comedy in the film is hit-or-miss. Some of the jokes are low-hanging fruit like a dove pooping on Andy's shirt, but there are a few that land. Or maybe they didn't land, and I was having too much of a fun time with this movie to care.

What I know is this movie spoke to the magic in me. There are cool magic tricks in the film, it accurately displays how magicians heckle each other, and these characters feel vulnerable, which endears them to the audience.

One more issue with the film is a character conflict that deserved more setup to sell the emotional payoff at the end, but overall, this is a wholesome family film that will make your kids laugh. Magic is about putting smiles on people's faces, and this film is absolutely dazzling.

Grade: ★★★✬☆ [7/10, B-]

Rating: PG for mild rude humor (nothing offensive at all, it's a G rating, don't listen to the idiots at the MPA)