If you're the kind of person who likes to know the how of magic is done, don't miss this show! Once you watch a few of these shows, it becomes fun to try watching the show then pausing and figuring it out before the reveal. You'll start to notice a pattern and start thinking more like an illusionist. I definitely don't get all of them, but a fair number after the demonstration I can pick out how it's done.
Really this is B-level camp. The show doesn't take itself too seriously, and as a viewer you shouldn't take it super seriously either. (I think that's part of the show's charm.) Yes at times it makes fun of magicians (especially the assistants), but there is usually a valid thought behind the criticisms.
The show is well shot considering how dark many sets must be for the illusions to function. Occasionally they'll completely blow the explanation for a trick, but the vast majority (95%+) are understandable on the first pass. Thoroughly enjoyable if you really *want* to know how a trick is done!
One thing that watching this show regularly does is kind of destroys the mystique (for the viewer) for common magicians. My local TV station used to show "Masters of Illusion" directly before MBSFR, and the two in rapid fire didn't work well. MBSFR survived, but Masters of Illusion was dropped from the schedule, mainly because I think MBSFR shows how many of the performers on MOI were just complete hacks.
I suspect working magicians have a similar reaction to this show. But if you're part of the howdy-do-dat crowd, it's fun to see the curtain pulled back!
