Skeptics have no business nosing about the world of magic. The same rules apply for movies about magic. Flicks have a hard enough time convincing audiences to accept alien invaders and boy wizards, so chucking in prestidigitation is asking for the moon. That is, unless you refuse to allow sleight of hand to have its way with the story, in which case you'd resemble 1982's The Escape Artist. There's a fair amount of trickery to be had in this somewhat rare find, but never does it drown out the film's real intentions. Starring Griffin O'Neal, Raul Julia, Terri Garr and Desi Arnaz, The Escape Artist is a unique coming-of-age tale, one that may star a youngster but isn't necessarily a kids-only affair.

The  story begins as a plucky young lad (O'Neal) issues a rather unusual challenge to the local police force. Lock him up in a holding cell, and within an hour, he'll set himself free. As the boy plots his great escape, flashbacks reveal he's Danny Masters, the son of a legendary magician who turned to thievery. Fleeing his grandmother's house, Danny hopes to join his aunt and uncle (Joan Hackett and Gabriel Dell) in their nightclub act. Instead, he lands in hot water with a crooked mayor (Arnaz) after lifting a wallet from his oddball son (Julia). As it turns out, the wallet is filled with hot money, and with this knowledge, Danny proceeds to play a game of cat and mouse with those who covet the cash. As Danny puts his own skills to the test in order to live up to his father's name, what begins as a joke evolves into something more

To measure the intelligence drought family entertainment has suffered through the years, one need only to compare The Escape Artist against about anything currently viewed on the Disney Channel. You may notice that the former embraces what the latter rebukes - namely tact, invention, and a respect for its target audience.

The Escape Artist sidesteps the genre's cartoonish trappings so as to approach its fantasy aspects with the utmost reverence. But while the story makes Danny smarter than most of the adults around him; it's wise enough to keep his charisma grounded. A credit to the film's intelligence which gives Danny an arc to navigate; as talented as the kid is, his quick fingers will only fool people for so long. It's here that The Escape Artist employs its offbeat take on growing up and becomes more enriching a film than some others.

This is by no means a traditional story, and when it sticks to playing by its own rules, the results truly are magical. Being the feature directing debut of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, it also looks terrific, with a number of dreamlike moments that really catch your eye. However, he's less adept at introducing conflict into the story, as the pacing often sputters out when plot rears its head.

Simply put, the business with the stolen wallet falls flat, and while Danny's stunt prompts a particularly poignant moment, the turn of events leading up to it just isn't that riveting. It's much better off when focused on Danny living on his wits, rather than shoehorning things into a mundane narrative. O'Neal carries the film just fine, his performance equal parts "endearing" and "smart-alecky." Julia's character is a wild card with little purpose, but he's hard to hate with the Addams Family legend providing such a kooky turn. The same goes for Arnaz in his brief but effective role.

Much like The Illusionist, The Escape Artist is less concerned with the tricks being pulled than it is with those pulling them. There are a few amusing instances of hocus pocus and at least one act demystified, but the real joy comes from watching characters grow in ways you don't get to see often. The Escape Artist's obscurity will probably live on through DVD, but it's a real gem worth popping in should you cross its path.

Director: Caleb Deschanel

Writers: Melissa Mathison and Stephen Zito screenplay; David Wagoner, novel

Cast: Griffin O'Neal, Raul Julia, Desi Arnaz, Joan Hackett, Gabriel Dell, Teri Garr

Rating: PG (some scary moments)

Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Run Time: 93 minutes

Studio: Orion Pictures

Format: Color, widescreen

Photo Credits: Orion Pictures