So at the end the movie reveals every mystery that is obvious to the viewer but somehow "forgets" to explain how in god's name the most unbelievable part works: the holographic illusions of people standing or even walking around in the theatre or in the streets! Actually that's a lame thing to do/not to do. Leaves you behind with that WTF-feeling that I myself very well remember after having seen The Prestige.
shareAt least in The Prestige it was somewhat explained, invoking the supernatural/fantasy where everything is possible (suspension of disbelief). Also in the Illusionist the growing tree was obviously CGI, later explained by an animatronic-like mechanic that in no way would resemble the computer animation.
You could imagine a similar explanation for the CGI effects of the hologram, like a film projector projecting an image on the dust cloud, or the Pepper's ghost[1] effect (using plate glass, Plexiglas or plastic film and special lighting techniques), something like that. Again wouldn't really explain the high resolution of the CGI.
Someone argued here some time ago, that what we saw of the stage show was actually through the eyes of the audience at that time (gullible as they probably were), and it was meant more like a metaphor not so much what actually happened.
Anyhow some people might accept that, for me it ruined the film.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper%27s_Ghost
the CGI killed this film. It was ridiculous to make photo-real holograms in turn-of-the-century Austria and play it off as just a trick. And the CGI butterflies and orange tree were a really cheap way to misguide the audience.
The night is dark and full of terrors
http://www.imdb.com/list/rJuB9UoASlQ/
[deleted]
It sure went deep into magic didn't it?
I'm not going to stop the wheel. I'm going to break the wheel.