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CREDITS
CAST
Nathaniel McIntyre as
Theo; Adam Devine as Andy; Jeffrey Tambor as Preston; Gillian Jacobs as
Kristina Darkwood; Nathanial Logan McIntyre as Theo; Cole Sand as Nathan;
Isabella Crovetti as Ruth; Rochelle Aytes as Theo’ Mom
HOME RELEASE DATE
August 14, 2020
DIRECTOR
Mark Waters
DISTRIBUTOR
Disney+
MOVIE REVIEW
Welcome to the
Institute of Magic. A summer camp unlike the rest, The Institute of Magic
exists to help young, aspiring magicians find their place in the world. At
least that’s what they advertise. Andy isn’t so sure it’s true.
A former camper and
master stage magician, Andy is jaded and no longer believes in all that magical
stuff. He used to have a pretty sweet gig where he and his best friend,
Kristina Darkwood, would travel all over and wow people with their stunts.
But those days are
long gone. After Kristina betrayed him and made a name for herself headlining
the biggest shows in the country, Andy sulked into the background. Now, he
drives taxis. A real dream come true.
Yet, Andy is still
secretly clinging to the hopes a better life. Which is why when he’s asked to
come back to the Institute of Magic as a summer counselor, he eagerly agrees.
A piece of cake! No
trouble at all, he thinks. But Andy’s never taught anyone anything, and his
little campers are eager to learn. There’s shy, talented Theo; eccentric Robin;
talented Judd; paranoid Nathan; and fierce Vera.
Together, these
campers, along with the pessimistic Andy, must band together and work hard to
learn about the tie between magical tricks and friendship if they have any hope
of winning the title of expert magicians.
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Andy sees the
potential in his campers. He tries to teach them to see the value in themselves
and to hone their talents. He asks for forgiveness for past mistakes and owns
the fact that he can be arrogant.
A mentor teaches
Andy, “You cannot love magic with your whole heart until your heart is whole.”
This same man encourages his campers to be themselves, telling them that it’s
OK to be labeled “weird” because everyone at camp has something that makes them
unique.
Theo is a kind young
boy who sticks up for his friends and values those in his life. Theo learns to
love and appreciate his mother (who loves and values her son) and his younger
brother.
A young girl feels
that she is unwanted by her parents but later learns that her parents do truly
love her. Bullies apologize, while friends mend relationships and encourage one
another. Campers and counselors learn lessons about kindness, including
everyone and confidence while also learning how to problem-solve.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
All of the “magic” on
display here is of the stage variety, simple tricks that have logical
explanations. It follows the seven types of stage magic: sleight of hand,
prediction, restoration, vanish and appearance, solid through solid, escape,
and levitation.
A young camper makes
a joke about her destiny.
SEXUAL CONTENT
When Theo’s friends
find out he has a crush on a female camper, they taunt him and sing a song
about the two possibly kissing. A young camper asks her counselor how bunnies
multiply, and he tells her to ask her parents.
Two campers flirt and
kiss once. A camp counselor shares about a former girlfriend who he still
likes. A young magician asks an audience member how old she was when she
received her first kiss. One male character (a young man who identifies as a
transgender young woman in real life) is portrayed as somewhat effeminate.
VIOLENT CONTENT
We learn that Theo’s
dad passed away some years ago. A girl makes a joke about how bunnies are
delicious and how she has a “thirst for blood like a hawk.”
CRUDE OR PROFANE LANGUAGE
Andy can be mean to
his campers and even tells them that they “suck” a few times.
Kids and adults say,
“oh my gosh” and “oh my god” once each. Kids are called “nerds,” “geeks,”
“dummies,” “slow” and “jerks” by a group of bullies. A camp leader calls
something “stupid.”
DRUG AND ALCOHOL CONTENT
A young camper is
allergic to everything and talks about needing his EpiPen. He also makes a
reference to the man who invented the polio vaccine.
OTHER NEGATIVE ELEMENTS
A young camper tells
his parents that he has all the necessary equipment to filter his urine, should
he ever get lost and need liquid to drink. This same young boy refers to
himself as someone who accidentally wets the bed at night and picks his nose. A
bird makes a mess on a camp counselor.
Campers are
occasionally mean to one another and have poor attitudes. An elderly woman
pretends not to have money to get out of tipping a driver.
CONCLUSION
Magic Camp is the
latest PG-rated original to land on Disney+.
Unlike many magically
themed films, Magic Camp veers away from the Harry Potter vibe and focuses more
on familiar illusions you might see a magician perform, such as card tricks,
vanishing rabbits and levitating lizards.
Aimed at elementary
and middle school aged kiddos, this movie’s positive themes focus on the magic
within each person. Kids will learn about kindness, encouragement and empathy.
They also learn that those things that make them different are what make them
beautifully unique.
Parents will want to
be aware of a few mild bumps along the way. Kids can be quite mean. There’s a
smattering of language and name-calling. Two young campers flirt and kiss, and
one young male camper is portrayed as slightly effeminate (though he’s never
clearly identified as gay.) And for some families, even though the magic here
is of the stage variety, that may still be a form of entertainment that they’d
rather avoid.
