Penn & Teller Get Killed

Penn and Teller is a fictional film about how inviting killers to your head on national TV can lead to potential problems, even if you are Penn and Teller.

This film embodies almost everything that is Penn and Teller, because that is what a Penn and Teller film should represent: Penn and Teller. Let's get the bad out of the way first: The acting in the film is decent and comical, but not superb - especially the actors that play the side roles. Of course considering Penn and Teller are magicians whose job is to act in a way that conceals their tricks, their acting is not bad, although it feels like something is missing, especially in the more "emotional" parts of the film.

Also, there's a slight issue with the writing. The film is sort of a mix between comedy and thriller, but the twists are generally somewhat predictable, and a lot of the humor does not cause explosive laughter. Again, the writing is just a wee bit weak, but in my opinion not the main point of the film.

What the point of the film is though is lots of Penn and Teller: The viewer gets to see plenty of magic tricks and how they are done, Penn and Teller make commentary on various forms of superstition, and deliver what is in my opinion the silliest, somewhat apologetic yet quite possibly best ending a film could ever have.

Overall, I would recommend Penn and Teller Get Killed, even if I were on national TV.

The idea is promising: is someone actually trying to kill Penn (following his peculiar request), or is it all a big hoax? But the result is a mess. The script that Penn and Teller wrote is unstructured and complex, and it doesn't seem to have a discernible beginning, middle or end. There is a funny and creative scene in an airport, early on, and then the film goes downhill. The VERY last monologue we hear, however, is kind of clever... (**)

A movie no Penn & Teller fan would dream of being without. The first time I watched it, I was perplexed by the oddball atmosphere - this movie just doesn't play like a typical movie. Subsequent viewings have increased my fondness for it, though, and I keep finding more and more humour in it. So much of the humour comes from realizing that the jokes are not just inserted to make us laugh, but are the natural product of a very bizarre world that these two performers are inhabiting all the time. As Teller in a park catches pigeons with his bare hands, Penn says admiringly, "You're getting really good at that. You don't even hurt them anymore." Anymore? What has been going on between Teller and the pigeons all these years? The film is full of these little glimpses into a very weird world.

this movie has some interesting stunts that are pulled, but I kept asking myself during the duration of the film, Is Penn the guy who does the "next on Comedy Central" voice. Otherwise I could dig this movie, jay and silent bob seemed to rip it off a little bit.

This movie is a must see for Penn and Teller fans. The story line reflects a lot about how the Bad Boys of Magic really act while on the road.

The constant pranks are imminently entertaining. The movie drags a bit near the end, but leads up to a great surprise for fans of the magic twosome.

The film may not sustain itself well for viewers who aren't very familiar with Penn and Teller. Still, you can't help but enjoy the frenzied nuttiness of the airport scene.