I am an odd person in that I've seen at least a couple hundred of Georges Méliès silent films. So because of this, I noticed a lot of familiar stuff in :La Lanterne Magique". Had I not seen all these other films, I probably would be more favorable about this film.
Two characters from the Italian Commedia Dell'Arte plays of the Rennaissance...Pierrot and Harlequin, two clowns. The pair make a HUGE magic lantern (like an early slide projector powered by a lamp). Soon, the magic lantern bursts open and woman come out of it. And, like I've seen in so many of Georges Méliès' films, they begin inexplicably dancing! In fact, every time that women show up in this movie, they start dancing! Ultimately some soldiers arrive and the clowns disappear...leaving a bizarre creature in their place.
This is okay...nothing special here. As I said above, there's a lot of familiar content here. Well made but familiar.