For British Viewers, This Article May Contain Spoilers
How Did Mike Super Fare?
Mike Super chose to exclude his "Spirit Energy" Desmond from his act, but kept his paranormal theme. This time, he blended mentalism and illusion. He got into a plexiglass box, and his assistants covered him with an opaque sheet. Giving directions despite the fact he was unable to see, he told the judges to choose from a collection of different symbols and pick one at random. Mike then vanished from beneath the sheet, appearing at the back of the theatre. Not only was the chosen symbol on his hands, but it had also appeared the the hands of the audience. Mike was successful in broadening the size and range of his act, and his trick was fun to watch, with a unique presentation (I especially liked the ribbon that flew across the stage to reveal where Mike had reappeared) . However, there was one problem with it, and that was the final reveal. Just as Mat Franco did in his Quarterfinal performance, Mike had a final twist that was effective, but too easy to figure out., and designed to surprise viewers rather than fool them. However, his performance was still a significant improvement over his previous routines.
How Did David & Leeman Fare?
David & Leeman's Semifinal performance was based on two aspects of their previous routine; the fact that they accidentally pressed Mel B's buzzer, and the fact that Heidi was their toughest critic last time around. They began their performance by "accidentally" hitting Howard, Howie and Mel B's buzzers. They then performed a variation of the "Spike under Cup" trick with five bags, each labelled with one of the first five letters of the alphabet. They had a spike hidden under one of the bags at random before the show, and took turns smashing their hands down on four of the bags, which had been chosen at random by each of the judges. David & Leeman instructed Heidi to give them an X if the act went wrong, but she didn't need to - The bag that the judges didn't choose was the one containing the spike. This trick has been done too often on Americas Got Talent, but David & Leeman provided one of the best versions of it. Their presentation was creative and funny, and their performance did not contain any obvious errors. However, it lasted a little too long, taking a full four minutes to complete. Furthermore, the familiar nature of their trick contrasted sharply with the uniqueness that made their audition great. David & Leeman did well, but overall Mike Super gave the better performance.
What Did the Judges Say?
The judges were full of praise for both acts. Mike Super was praised for his change in direction and his creative trick, whilst David & Leeman received praise for their delivery, particularly from Heidi and Howard.
How Did the Other Acts Fare?
Generally, the semifinallists were good but not great. Flight Crew Jump Rope were energetic, but their routine was hard to follow and they made mistakes. Mara Justine delivered a disappointing version of Kelly Clarkson's song "Breakaway", whilst Bad Boys of Ballet were not spectacular enough to justify their status as wildcards. Paul Ieti sang Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way" and his vocals were hit-and-miss. Andrey Moraru was beautiful to watch, but his act is limited and he failed to pull off a tricky contortion at the end. Miguel Dakota proved that he was AGT's big rockstar. Sons Of Serendip were pleasant to listen to, but they lacked an edge, and their approach is a bit limited. Dan Naturman provided some amusing lines, but he was never laugh-out-loud funny and spent too much time setting up his jokes. Ariel Animation's routine was creative, but a little too chaotic for such a late stage in he contest. Emily West closed the show with a unique take on Queen's song "Who Wants To Live Forever" and was singled out as the act to beat.
Verdict
Mike Super and David & Leeman both delivered solid performances. With six of the twelve acts going through, both have, at the very least, a moderate chance of making the finals. However, the unique nature of Mike's trick ensures that he has a better chance of advancing.
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