User Reviews

A poor young boy who's mother is overworked and who's father has recently died becomes his magician idol's assistant and learns the scary consequences of screwing around with another magician's wand that hasn't been handed willingly to him...urg.. In some ways this episode which first ever aired on 911(!) of 1993, is really more of a Shan- Don't! I still wouldn't call it a proper terrible episode though, as to a big fan of the series few genuinely are, but it's definitely no standout tale of the show and isn't a favourite of mine, it's pretty standard and routine all around with nothing really jumping out about it, but it's still fun enough. The actors are for the most part good and work well together. The adorable Noah Plener was likable and a real little natural in his role, even if he had to repeatedly yell out one of the most awkwardly-stupid lines ever in the whole show! And James Bradford played his part of a washed up magician very well, with a little more dignity than the usual over-the-top approach you'd usually get from most of the adult actors. His character really feels to me like he could just as easily have been Sardo, it makes me wonder if the Sardo actor wasn't available or something.. I like weird nonsensical touches, like how Shandoo's creepy little trailer is so much larger on the inside...magic? The villain of the tale is meant to be some kind of ancient demonic sorcerer or whatever but he's just so lame and completely nonthreatening and his design is so laughably cheap and ridiculous looking, he looks like a jaundiced Emperor Palpatine or the old witch from Snow White! You might have thought the false wand would have played a part in Nazrack's demise but no, just banished with a mirror, it's all done with mirrors as they say! I like what Shando says at the end about how you always leave the audience wanting more, which is really an example that the entire series follows. All in all it's a cute fun episode but they're are much better tales involving magic to enjoy. Always worth watching if you're on a AYAOTD marathon, and there's always something to enjoy on some level or other in these stories even if you're not a fan of the show's distinctive and very magic style - "Be gone!" x