A well-meaning rumination on the power of the moving image and the need for societal change, Ann Hu's naïve, cliched film nevertheless takes the road too often traveled in its unconvincing East versus West narrative. Engagingly acted but often embarrassingly cloying, Shadow Magic falls into the trap of turning its characters into ciphers and reactors instead of honest human beings. Its assertions on Chinese culture of the early 1900s seem forced and modernized to appeal to the desires of current audiences, which drains the movie of any emotional authenticity. Additionally, the film is all too happy to create its heroes and villains in broad strokes, when the central friendship and mystery of cinema themes are far more involving and interesting. The film has the longing to become an important epic about tolerance and clashing beliefs, but these ideas have been explored far more effectively in countless Chinese-language films of the previous few decades.