Rating: 
Summary: The Magic of Cultural Influence
Review: A must see movie suitable for all ages. Excellent fotography of real people and scenic geography of the Great Wall. The magic lies in the hearts and eyes of both the Chinese and one Raymond Wallace - the Englishman who introduced the movie camera technology to China during early 1900's. The movie contains both historical facts of that time and the complexity of human relations whenever "East" meets "West".
Rating: 
Summary: A feel=good movie a bit on the syrupy side
Review: Don't get me wrong - this is a fine movie. It's full of feel-good moments and light, humorous touches. It's beautifully photographed and each scene is shot and editted with equisite care. It has colorful costumes and exotic street scenes of old Beijing. It's a charmingly-dressed tableau of traditional China at the turn of the 20th century. But perhaps it is a little too charming, from the spotless costumes to the immaculate sidewalks. Our hero bounces through life encountering a cast of well-intentioned characters who conveniently come around at the most opportune moments. The movie aspires to serious drama, but delivers mostly cliches. It reminds one of Cinema Paradiso at places but is much more like Mediterraneo in tone. At least Cinema Paradiso has some real heartbreaks. In this film our hero gets the girl, keeps the job, and to top it off, the closing credits tell us he went on to make a fortune. Perhaps that's The Arnold's reality. But it sure ain't ours.
Rating:
Summary: A feel=good movie a bit on the syrupy side
Review: Don't get me wrong - this is a fine movie. It's full of feel-good moments and light, humorous touches. It's beautifully photographed and each scene is shot and editted with equisite care. It has colorful costumes and exotic street scenes of old Beijing. It's a charmingly-dressed tableau of traditional China at the turn of the 20th century. But perhaps it is a little too charming, from the spotless costumes to the immaculate sidewalks. Our hero bounces through life encountering a cast of well-intentioned characters who conveniently come around at the most opportune moments. The movie aspires to serious drama, but delivers mostly cliches. It reminds one of Cinema Paradiso at places but is much more like Mediterraneo in tone. At least Cinema Paradiso has some real heartbreaks. In this film our hero gets the girl, keeps the job, and to top it off, the closing credits tell us he went on to make a fortune. Perhaps that's The Arnold's reality. But it sure ain't ours.
Rating:
Summary: a grate movie
Review: I loved this movie, and I wish I knew who the person was that invented "Shadow magaic" because if it wasn't for that person we might not have movies right know. I love the history I say this is a must see movie.
Rating:
Summary: Warm, Satisfying and Life-Affirming
Review: I rented this film over the weekend, having never heard of it before. It was a beautiful film about figuring out who you are, and finding the strength and courage to make what you want of your life. I like how the film was half in Chineese and half in English, and didn't worry too much about forcing the use of one language or the other. As the story itself is about east meeting west, this duality of language gave me the opportunity to experience more personally the events in the film. I simply loved this movie, and loved how it left me feeling: warm and hopeful.
Rating:
Summary: Warm, Satisfying and Life-Affirming
Review: I rented this film over the weekend, having never heard of it before. It was a beautiful film about figuring out who you are, and finding the strength and courage to make what you want of your life. I like how the film was half in Chineese and half in English, and didn't worry too much about forcing the use of one language or the other. As the story itself is about east meeting west, this duality of language gave me the opportunity to experience more personally the events in the film. I simply loved this movie, and loved how it left me feeling: warm and hopeful.
Rating:
Summary: Truly Magical!!!!!!!!!
Review: If you are interested in a truly great movie, representative of a historical period of time, early 1900s in China --- this is it!!! The sets, costumes and plot make this a MUST and HAVE TO purchase DVD for anyone who is interested in Chinese culture. Fascinating!!!! Don't be bothered that there are subtitles, they are written well. However, the acting is superb and communicates beyond the Mandarin. This surpasses Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ten fold for anyone who is interested in a Chinese-made movie that is not merely martial arts. One of the best movies that I have ever seen, equivalent to The Last Emperor. For all ages!!! For technophiles like myself, this is fascinating to watch --- the introduction of photography and moving pictures in China.
Rating: 
Summary: Friendship Through The First Motion Picture Show in China
Review: Loosely based on the Chinese cinema history, "Shadow Magic" portrays the people surrounding the first showing of moving picture in Beijing, China in 1902. But the film is more about the fictional chacaters involved in it rather than about the event itself, so do not expect any historical accuracy. And "Shadow Magic" succeeds as the former kind of picture. Jared Harris (son of late Richard Harris) is in the film as a British entrepreneur Raymond Wallace, who is eagar to make some money, showing the films he brought from the West, but, good as he is, it is not Harris who carries the whole picture. It is Chinese actor Xia Yu as Liu, a technician at photography studio who is really remarkable in "Shadow Magic," and he is just wondeful. Liu, interested in anything new from the West, is a kind of misfit in the traditional Chinese society, and naturally, is the first one to get hooked by the idea of Raymond -- showing the "Shadow Magic" in China. They gradually begin to understand each other, and the rapport between these likable fellows is definitely the best part of the show. The story written by director Ann Hu, I must say, needs some trimming, sometimes filled with clithed moments. And some viewers object to the way the Chinese society or culture is depicted here, claiming inaccuracy in the film. Probably, the film's director Ann Hu is already conscious of that, for she is born in China, and lived through the time of Revolution and Chiarman Mao, and then she left the country to study abroad, in USA where she lives now. Any production designs should be taken, I assume, as her own creations. If the story or atomosphere of the film looks like a blend of the West and the East, it is probably her intention, or the result of her cultural background. And I just do not think that the portrayals of Chinese people are seen through patronizing eye of Westerners. True, they sometimes suffer from clithe, but fairly done, showing enough variety of people among them, avoiding one-dimentional characterization of the East. The most moving scene of the film is, of course, the first moment in which the people first see the picture and react joyfully. You might have heard some famous episodes about the first viewers in Paris cafe where the Lumiere Brothers showed a short film of a train arriving at the station. The same thing happens to the Chinese people. The theme is thus universal. And again I say, the most joyful experience for us is to see the truly believable character of young Liu, who must decide his way of life between the two cultures. His character and the performance of Xia Yu well deserve the name of "Shadow Magic."
Rating:
Summary: Friendship Through The First Motion Picture Show in China
Review: Loosely based on the Chinese cinema history, "Shadow Magic" portrays the people surrounding the first showing of moving picture in Beijing, China in 1902. But the film is more about the fictional chacaters involved in it rather than about the event itself, so do not expect any historical accuracy. And "Shadow Magic" succeeds as the former kind of picture. Jared Harris (son of late Richard Harris) is in the film as a British entrepreneur Raymond Wallace, who is eagar to make some money, showing the films he brought from the West, but, good as he is, it is not Harris who carries the whole picture. It is Chinese actor Xia Yu as Liu, a technician at photography studio who is really remarkable in "Shadow Magic," and he is just wondeful. Liu, interested in anything new from the West, is a kind of misfit in the traditional Chinese society, and naturally, is the first one to get hooked by the idea of Raymond -- showing the "Shadow Magic" in China. They gradually begin to understand each other, and the rapport between these likable fellows is definitely the best part of the show. The story written by director Ann Hu, I must say, needs some trimming, sometimes filled with clithed moments. And some viewers object to the way the Chinese society or culture is depicted here, claiming inaccuracy in the film. Probably, the film's director Ann Hu is already conscious of that, for she is born in China, and lived through the time of Revolution and Chiarman Mao, and then she left the country to study abroad, in USA where she lives now. Any production designs should be taken, I assume, as her own creations. If the story or atomosphere of the film looks like a blend of the West and the East, it is probably her intention, or the result of her cultural background. And I just do not think that the portrayals of Chinese people are seen through patronizing eye of Westerners. True, they sometimes suffer from clithe, but fairly done, showing enough variety of people among them, avoiding one-dimentional characterization of the East. The most moving scene of the film is, of course, the first moment in which the people first see the picture and react joyfully. You might have heard some famous episodes about the first viewers in Paris cafe where the Lumiere Brothers showed a short film of a train arriving at the station. The same thing happens to the Chinese people. The theme is thus universal. And again I say, the most joyful experience for us is to see the truly believable character of young Liu, who must decide his way of life between the two cultures. His character and the performance of Xia Yu well deserve the name of "Shadow Magic."
Rating:
Summary: Friendship Through The First Motion Picture Show in China
Review: Loosely based on the Chinese cinema history, "Shadow Magic" portrays the people surrounding the first showing of moving picture in Beijing, China in 1902. But the film is more about the fictional chacaters involved in it rather than about the event itself, so do not expect any historical accuracy. And "Shadow Magic" succeeds as the former kind of picture. Jared Harris (son of late Richard Harris) is in the film as a British entrepreneur Raymond Wallace, who is eagar to make some money, showing the films he brought from the West, but, good as he is, it is not Harris who carries the whole picture. It is Chinese actor Xia Yu as Liu, a technician at photography studio who is really remarkable in "Shadow Magic," and he is just wondeful. Liu, interested in anything new from the West, is a kind of misfit in the traditional Chinese society, and naturally, is the first one to get hooked by the idea of Raymond -- showing the "Shadow Magic" in China. They gradually begin to understand each other, and the rapport between these likable fellows is definitely the best part of the show. The story written by director Ann Hu, I must say, needs some trimming, sometimes filled with clithed moments. And some viewers object to the way the Chinese society or culture is depicted here, claiming inaccuracy in the film. Probably, the film's director Ann Hu is already conscious of that, for she is born in China, and lived through the time of Revolution and Chiarman Mao, and then she left the country to study abroad, in USA where she lives now. Any production designs should be taken, I assume, as her own creations. If the story or atomosphere of the film looks like a blend of the West and the East, it is probably her intention, or the result of her cultural background. And I just do not think that the portrayals of Chinese people are seen through patronizing eye of Westerners. True, they sometimes suffer from clithe, but fairly done, showing enough variety of people among them, avoiding one-dimentional characterization of the East. The most moving scene of the film is, of course, the first moment in which the people first see the picture and react joyfully. You might have heard some famous episodes about the first viewers in Paris cafe where the Lumiere Brothers showed a short film of a train arriving at the station. The same thing happens to the Chinese people. The theme is thus universal. And again I say, the most joyful experience for us is to see the truly believable character of young Liu, who must decide his way of life between the two cultures. His character and the performance of Xia Yu well deserve the name of "Shadow Magic."
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