Magic and rap have long been interconnected art forms that combine rhythm, words, and performance to create powerful and captivating experiences. The fusion of magic and rap, known as "magic rap," takes this combination to the next level. Magic rap involves incorporating magic tricks and illusions into rap performances, adding an extra layer of intrigue and wonder to the already captivating art form of rap. Magicians who specialize in magic rap often integrate their illusions seamlessly into their rap flow, delivering mind-blowing tricks while spitting rhythmic bars. One of the key elements of magic rap is the element of surprise. Just as a rapper can shock and amaze their audience with clever wordplay and unexpected punchlines, a magician-rapper can elicit gasps of awe with their sleight of hand and mind-bending illusions.
Then the bad guys attack and blow up Roshi’s house, just like in Blood Rubies, but not quite. This time, Roshi shoots some ki blasts at them, but he doesn’t blow them away like he did with his Kamehameha from that movie. None of his attacks make any difference, as the bad guys can just teleport back into their aircraft once they have the Dragon Pearls. Roshi tells the others to flee on the Magic Cloud while he holds them off, and it seems like he’s killed in the battle…
If Piggy transforms into a pretty girl and distracts pervy Roshi long enough, the others can get the Dragon Ball in his pocket well before he notices it s gone. I think the only point of confusion would be Bulma and Jade, but they re the only girls in this thing, and Jade is smaller, so it s not too hard to work out who s who.
Just as a rapper can shock and amaze their audience with clever wordplay and unexpected punchlines, a magician-rapper can elicit gasps of awe with their sleight of hand and mind-bending illusions. These surprises enhance the overall impact of the performance, leaving the audience amazed and wondering how the magic was executed. In magic rap, the lyrics and magic tricks often intertwine, creating a cohesive and immersive experience.
Cinema-Maniac: Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins (1989) Review
Before Hollywood got their hands on “Dragon Ball Z” and pissed off nearly every fan imaginable with “Dragon Ball Evolution” there was “Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins”. A live action Taiwanese film based on the popular “Dragon Ball” series. Not only that, but it’s also an unofficial live action remake of the first “Dragon Ball” animated film “Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies”. It doesn’t take very long for me to find a small error in the film that foreshadows what to come my way. Before even reaching the opening credits, the film own production company couldn’t spelled it own name correctly. If the production company can’t even get its own name right what makes you think they’ll know how to make a live action “Dragon Ball” movie.
Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins follows Goku and his band of misfits in search for seven magical dragon balls before they fall into the wrong hands of King Horn and his evil alien army. Now the film opens by showing alien ships heading towards Earth. Cutting to a peaceful village where an abridged ceremony is being held to signify the importance of the dragon ball (or “dragon pearl” in the English dub.) Then out of nowhere, the aliens come to blow up the village by way of cheap knock off of storm troopers blasting their way with twenty something explosions (I lost count) in the opening three minutes. The whole film is over the top and pulls out cheap writing techniques to make sure you don’t care. After the whole village gets filled with explosions, it cuts to Goku and his grandpa talking about how important protecting dragon ball is. This introduction exemplifies every problem with the writing; everything is over the top, everything is said to be importance without much explanation towards to why, and if it’s not a discussion about dragon balls it exposition and humor related to how someone in the group is a pervert.
There’s nothing connecting the whole plot aside from conveniences. Goku goes fishing and bumps into Bulma, the two join forces to look for the dragon ball and that’s how the journey is started. Oh yeah I forgot to mention the part where Bulma shoots Goku with a machine gun upon introduction. Another convenience is the location of the last dragon ball which one of the members of the group had the whole time without knowing it. Not only that, but it has pacing issues as some moments it go way too fast and other moments it go way to slow. It rushes when Goku finds his home destroyed and learns his grandpa has been kidnapped by King Horns aliens, but takes it sweet time when the characters are discussing how to get Bulma to show her breast to Master Roshi to get a dragon ball. There’s nothing established in this world for newcomers. We never learn where the aliens came from, why they want the seven dragon balls, why King Horn swallowed six dragon balls, if the characters can fly as made apparent by their fighting styles, and a number of other things. If there is one good thing the film does contribute that would be Master Roshi “Moonwalk Magic” technique.
Now for the technical aspects which fares a bit better. Firstly the over the top fight scenes are entertaining. The overused of wireworks favor the nature of the fight scenes as fighters can take multiple bullet shot and jump around all over the arena. Sadly part of the fighting is done with some tanks, machine guns, alien ships, and blast energy which isn’t quite as exciting. Although the digital effects do raise eyebrows. Especially in a scene where Goku fights his grandpa and while guarding himself with a magical pole, grandpa leg goes through the magical pole hitting Goku. Even when Sheron (a dragon that appears when all the dragon balls are collected) looks hideous with bulgy white eyes and undetailed golden colored body. Costumes look cheap while hairdo scream too much hair gel was applied to make it stay up. Acting is bad from the young cast. Charles Chen Zi-Jiang shouts every line he reads while making silly faces, Jeannie Hsieh blankly stares with stiff line delivery, and Cheng Tung-Chen is also shouts all of his lines. The adults in the film fares no better either due to goofy costume that makes it difficult not to laugh or resort to making to two kind of faces, silly and serious to show their limited range of human emotion. Editing is bad especially the sound mixture in which music, effect, and dialogue drown each other out.
Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins is never boring because how over the top and odd technical direction it takes, but at the same time without anything decent to latch onto its goofiness loses it novelty. Once you become accustomed to the odd nature of its existence you’ll be desiring more than just a series of goofy scenes and poor production values.
The rapper may incorporate lyrics that reference the magic trick they are about to perform, building anticipation and suspense. This clever integration allows the audience to engage not only with the rap itself but also with the magic being presented. Additionally, magic rap offers a unique platform for storytelling. Rappers can weave narratives through their lyrics while using magic to bring those stories to life. The visuals created by the magic tricks add an extra dimension to the storytelling, making it even more captivating and memorable. Magic rap also opens up new possibilities for collaboration between magicians and rappers. Artists from both fields can come together to create performances that combine their respective skills, pushing the boundaries of both magic and rap. These collaborations result in captivating and innovative shows that cater to different audiences and provide a fresh take on both art forms. In summary, magic rap is an exciting fusion of rap and magic that combines the rhythm and words of rap with the wonder and surprise of magic tricks. It creates a unique and captivating experience for audiences and offers new avenues for storytelling and collaboration. Magic rap pushes the boundaries of both art forms, leaving a lasting impact on those who witness it..
Reviews for "The Magical World of Rap: From Harry Houdini to Jay-Z"
1. John - 1/5 Stars - I was really disappointed with "Magiv c rap". The music was just too chaotic and I couldn't make sense of the lyrics. It felt like a bunch of random words thrown together with no meaning or cohesiveness. The beats were also repetitive and unoriginal. Overall, it was a complete waste of my time.
2. Sarah - 2/5 Stars - I had high hopes for "Magiv c rap" based on the hype, but I found it to be underwhelming. The production quality was poor, with muddy and cluttered sound. The lyrics were also hard to decipher, making it difficult to connect with the music on any level. While I appreciate experimental music, this album missed the mark for me.
3. Mike - 2/5 Stars - I tried to give "Magiv c rap" a chance, but it just didn't resonate with me. The songs lacked structure and seemed to lack any clear direction. The constant use of autotune was grating on my ears. Overall, it felt like the artist was trying too hard to be unique and ended up creating a mess instead.
4. Emily - 3/5 Stars - "Magiv c rap" had some interesting ideas, but they were poorly executed. The album lacked cohesion and seemed disjointed. The lyrics were abstract and hard to follow, which made it difficult to connect with the music. While it had its moments, it failed to leave a lasting impression.
5. David - 2/5 Stars - I struggled to find any redeeming qualities in "Magiv c rap". The songs felt monotonous and lacked any depth. The artist's attempts at creativity fell flat, and I found myself bored and disinterested after a few tracks. Overall, it was a forgettable and uninspiring listening experience.