Not entirely successful as an entertainment, but still a marvel to behold. The expert use of 3D creates depth and texture, though much of the production looks artificial. This may be – actually it is likely – intentional as this artifice echoes the subject of artifice which absorbs much of the movie, whether focusing on magic, automatons, or filmmaking. The classically styled adventure of a boy fending for himself in an unusual setting and the characters who inhabit the small world he is intimately familiar with segues into what is ultimately an exploration of the most magical of early cinema pioneers and a plea for film preservation. That this is accomplished so entertainingly is a small wonder itself. That the plea for film preservation is delivered through the very medium that is driving film presentation out of broad public view is somewhat ironic.