Washington Post by Stephen Hunter

Sumptuous, warm, continually amazing, it's a completely enjoyable couple of hours at the flickers.

Miami Herald by Curtis Morgan

Rising above simple sentiment to explore class differences and the enduring clash between East and West with wit and wisdom.

New York Daily News by Jack Mathews

A movie-movie about the movies.

Portland Oregonian

The re-creation of early 20th-century Beijing is dense and loving, and Hu shows just as much affection for the people who start to trickle into the shabby little cinema.

Portland Oregonian by Barry Johnson

The re-creation of early 20th-century Beijing is dense and loving, and Hu shows just as much affection for the people who start to trickle into the shabby little cinema.

Washington Post by Michael O'Sullivan

It's a film about culture clash, the generation gap and the loss of tradition that inevitably accompanies the arrival of anything new.

Philadelphia Inquirer by Desmond Ryan

Transports us to a world that still had a capacity for awe, and that's the core of its charm.

Boston Globe by Jay Carr

Shadow Magic isn't interested in psychology or character study. It's a series of tableaux and on that level succeeds admirably.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer by William Arnold

Never quite builds the compulsive emotional power it needs to be an unforgettable personal drama.

Chicago Tribune by Loren King

Succeeds as a paean to movies and movie-watching.

Film.com by Robert Horton

Has a real sense of the wonder of the early years.

Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas

Evokes the dawn of cinema in China with much charm, humor and subtlety.

San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann

A pleasant but conventional film.

Village Voice by Amy Taubin

Properly picturesque but lacks subtlety and substance in blending Chinese and Western history, ideas, and cinematic conventions.

TV Guide Magazine by Ken Fox

Unfortunately, Hu and her army of co-writers saddle the story with a tired romantic subplot and fail to develop meaningful characters.