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Magicians is yet another nail in the coffin of UK cult comedy. David Mitchell and Robert Webb are the latest in a string of British sitcom actors to take to the silver screen (Hot Fuzz, Confetti), and in the transition to mainstream cinema arguably lose their charm.
The established comedy duo appears as Harry (Mitchell) and Karl (Webb), a pair of rival magicians competing against each other in the International Magic Shield tournament. The plot and characters are fairly predictable, and the ending doesn't deliver enough of a twist to surprise. It’s hard not to compare the film to Peep Show when the main cast and writers are the same, and the actors have done little to escape their typecasting. They might as well be named Mark and Jez.
Overall, Magicians falls short of its high expectations, and will leave die-hard fans of the comedy duo disappointed
Having said all that, Bain and Armstrong maintain their good standard of writing and there are some fantastic scenes and sharp one-liners. Mitchell and Webb remain hilarious to watch; in particular, watch out for Mitchell’s terrifying aeroplane experience and Webb making an 'administrative call' to the other-side in his attempts at becoming 'The Mindmonger'. There are also some brilliant supporting characters. Fans of Spaced will be glad to see Jessica Stevenson back on form; and Peter Capaldi plays a deliciously cruel compere, not to mention the plethora of British comedians in cameo roles – although not quite the big names; you might be left scouring imdb to figure out where you’ve seen them before...
Overall, Magicians falls short of its high expectations, and will leave die-hard fans of the comedy duo disappointed. If, however, you’re just looking for a good laugh, this shouldn’t fail to entertain.
