"Airrise Rising Card" DVD by JP
Suggested Retail USD$29.95
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 1 Out of 10

"Airise Rising Card", a DVD by "JP" and released by "Who's Magic", is an interesting idea for the classic plot, but with a weird handling, practicality issues, and numerous drawbacks, this is one "rising card" that sinks fast.

I've got to say, right off the bat, that "Airrise" does everything it claims to do: a deck of cards is freely shown front and back and put back in the case, a spectator names any card (without a force), and the card rises from the deck. Or you can, if you like, proceed along more standard lines and have the spectator pick a card from the deck (again, no force), put the deck into the case, and have the card rise. Both routines are done without the usual threads, loops, magnets, bands, and the like. For the purists among us, there are no forces at all, the card box is shown empty and from all sides, you've got complete control over the rise and all the fingers are seen.

Shoot, I'll even agree that, like the hype says, "this deck is like no other". I know I sure haven't seen one like this and I've been "collecting" the "rising card" plot since I was a kid.

But the problems... Oh, man, the problems.

Let's start with the picky stuff and move on up the line, shall we? Sure, why not? It's as good a way to catalogue the problems as any other way I can think of.

First, contrary to the ads, you're not supplied with a "prop". You're given a piece of the makings of the prop, but that's it. Arts-and-craft time is involved in this one.

Second, the rise is anemic to say the least. A card poking it's way out of the deck less than an inch isn't a rise; it's an out-jog. And who wants to perform an "outjogged card" effect?

Third, there are a lot of conditions with this one. You've got to watch your lighting and your angles and you'll be carrying a spare deck around for other things (or for examination) since the "Airrise Rising Card" is a dedicated deck. Those are the big ones to be concerned with here.

Fourth, I'd love to see someone perform this with a full deck (shoot, I'd love to see someone perform this at all; there is no "start-to-finish" performance video of this to be found). I couldn't do it. I tried. I gave up. A half-deck or so? No problem. A full deck? Uh-huh.

Fifth, the handling is so blastedly awkward that eyebrows will raise and peals of scornful laughter will erupt. For the life of me, I couldn't come up with a way of hiding it, explaining it, or dismissing it that was satisfactory (and JP is no help here; he simply says to do it. His audiences, if he has any, are kinder than mine, evidently).

Well, that about covers it for "Airrise Rising Card". It's a collection of problems and issues and less-than-full thinking to create a minimal effect.

And I haven't even gotten to the plain vanilla instructions and the horrible camera work (which becomes a detriment to learning parts of this) -- those are ancillary issues, really, compared to other things you'll run into with this one.

There are a lot of "rising card" effects out there as I write this. Some are really quite good, some need a bit here of work and there, but with "Airrise Rising Card" your struggles are Herculean for what amounts to a poor trick.

Save your sanity and your shekels; pass this one by.

"Airrise Rising Card" DVD by JP
In a Blink: 1 Out of 10

Material: 1
It's an interesting take on the "rising card" plot, with an intriguing implementation of an old idea, but all in all it's just not workable on a couple of levels. And that's being generous.

Practicality: 1
The deck is completely gaffed through and through, as is the case, so you'll be packing a spare deck for this one. You are also going to have some angle and lighting issues as you go. That would definitely make it a "right-place-right-time" effect. But doing it with a full deck is another issue, and fairly kills this one outright.

Quality of Production: 1
Another "shot in the kitchen"-type of production, with awful camera work, spotty audio, and little editing in sight. You'll have some problems learning from this one.

Quality of Instruction: 3
JP does an less-than-average job of teaching his idea. It would have been nice to see things like a complete performance of the effect instead of the quick-cut version (that leaves out some of the handling). I'd also like to have had a bit more concentration on the stranger parts of the handling.

Presentation: 1
The routines here sound like killers and, really, they are. But with one too many awkward moments in the works, this one goes downhill pretty fast.


Shane

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