Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Mar 24, 2024 3.5/4

It’s depressing to note that after 120-plus years of cinema, we find ourselves having to sit through junk like Halloween Kills and Space Jam: A New Legacy. This lovely film transports us back to a pre-blockbuster time full of genuine promise.

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Betsy Bozdech DVDJournal.com Oct 21, 2006 3/4

A sweet, charming story based on the real-life story of the advent of moving pictures in China at the turn of the century, it's the perfect escape into another place and time.

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Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jun 12, 2005 3/5

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Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Apr 22, 2005 3/5

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Eric D. Snider EricDSnider.com Sep 18, 2002 C

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Ryan Cracknell Apollo Guide Sep 17, 2001 76/100

In her debut film, director and producer Ann Hu creates a beautiful world with strong characters, both main and supporting.

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Jeff Vice Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Jun 29, 2001

Despite the fact that it's occasionally corny, Shadow Magic is also so low-key and so charming that you might not care.

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Joe Baltake Sacramento Bee Jun 15, 2001

Some of the hostile reactions to Wallace and his movie machine may seem heavy-handed, but the film reminds us that China had been exploited by Western culture, making the opposition a bit more palatable.

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Jim Lane Sacramento News & Review Jun 11, 2001 3/5

Hu's affection is contagious, and there are wonderful moments.

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Jeanne Aufmuth Palo Alto Weekly Jun 5, 2001 3/4

resonates with modern values but maintains its old world charm

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Chris Hewitt St. Paul Pioneer Press May 31, 2001

What an unremarkable movie this is.

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times May 18, 2001 2/4

Why not trust the subject matter instead of shaping it all to fit a formula?

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Charles Ealy Dallas Morning News May 17, 2001

Makes us appreciate what today's audiences take for granted: the miracle of the cinema.

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Loren King Chicago Tribune May 17, 2001

Gives us a glimpse of what it must have been like to be mesmerized and seduced by images that still convey magic and mystery.

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Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle May 7, 2001 3/5

A sweet evocation of a world on the verge of change.

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Barry Johnson Oregonian Apr 27, 2001

Xia gives Jinglun an earnest likability.

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Curtis Morgan Miami Herald Apr 27, 2001

There is a humane touch here missing from so many modern movies.

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Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post Apr 20, 2001 4/5

It's a film about film, and Hu's love of the medium's storytelling power shines through every frame.

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Stephen Hunter Washington Post Apr 20, 2001 4.5/5

Sumptuous, warm, continually amazing, it's a completely enjoyable couple of hours at the flickers.

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Desmond Ryan Philadelphia Inquirer Apr 20, 2001

Transports us to a world that still had a capacity for awe, and that's the core of its charm.

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