The Effect
as described by the product - 'Imagine if you could prove the strength of your magical and mental abilities by making time stop! Your spectator sees her watch stop ticking and feels your pulse stop. Then at your command, the spell is broken and your pulse remains along with the second hand on her watch. You and the spectator are left breathless!'
Cost
$59.95 from penguinmagic.com
Difficulty
No sleights are used, but a difficult trick to perfrom with the equipment provided... 3
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
Review
'...Ever wanted a super power? If so what woud it be? Me? I'd always thought it would be great to stop time... think of the benefits... more time in exams, job interviews, answering those life changing questions, and being able to make those special moments last just that fraction longer...'
... you would of course almost certainly have a better way of introducing this spectacle.
Like many of the more expensive tricks available within the market which describe near impossible sounding effects, upon receiving this I felt a little let down. For your money you get a genuine looking watch (which cannot be used as a day to day watch like the Masters Time Machine), and two photocopied sheets of lumious orange paper. Nice. All the apparatus required for this trick is not immediately available, and you might find that a quick trip to Toys R Us or even the Early Learning Center is in order should you wish to even attempt performance...
The act itself essentially boils itself down into two parts - the ability to make your pulse stop and the ability to make a spectators watch stop. The trip to the early learning center covers the first part of this - it is amazing just how dangerous some of the toys they sell can be in the hands of a magus!
The second part requires the use of the Paradox Watch itself which utilises a simple principal unknown to those outside of thaumaturgical circles. Owners of the PK5 Kit will probably have a vague idea as to exactly what that principal is.
Advantages - if performed with panache this trick is probably one of the best tricks within a magicians armoury. It is certainly not for the faint hearted. Should you be able to pull it off, then to your spectators you will have performed an undeniable miracle which will be the talking point of the evening and enahnce your reputation. Indeed, I recently saw the first half of the trick used in conjunction with an exploding lightbulb device while on holiday in Ireland... upon stopping the pulse the magician was able to transfer his cardiacal powers into blowing up a lightbulb. A little weird? Yes - Entertaining?! Well, the Irish liked it! The Paradox would be ideal for a Street Magician who wished to perform a time stopping PK effect without the need to conceal a PK device within ones sleeves: the effect is performable wearing a short sleeved shirt.
Disadvantages - my main predicament with the Paradox watch is the Watch itself. While it looks from a distance just like a normal watch, it has to be brought into very close proximity to the spectators watch (I am talking within touching distance), This can lead to the spectator notcing that your watch has stopped as well (which is admittedly probably not as impressive as stopping her watch,) but more importantly this can arrouse the spectators suspicions. Indeed, what I now like to do is utilise the power of the PK5 device to do the task of the Watch instead. This in my opinion makes the effect a lot more plausible. While the trick does not in itself involve advanced card manipulation or hours of practice as in learning coin manipulation, it does require both confidence and pluck in order to be pulled off without arousing any suspicions.
Overall
For the price and what you receive; it probably merits a 4 and a half. Under the guidance of magicdiscoman I would like to add that I would probably not buy the effect again although only due to the rather high price. For the same money there are tricks of equal impact out there which are more reliable and subtle in their methods...
ps. I hope my first addition to this board has been within the rules and my review has not overstepped any boundaries. I have been following it humbly for several months and have found it incredibly useful - I just hope I can put back a little of what I have been taking out!
pps. I am sure the Mog's SSUD would also suffice equally for the task.
