For British Viewers, This Article May Contain Spoilers
Last week, both Mike Super and David & Leeman made it through the first Semifinal, although the latter only did so as a judges choice. This week, Mat Franco and Smoothini competed to join them in the Final 12.
How Did Mat Franco Fare?
Mat Franco began his Semi final performance by getting Howard, Heidi and Howie to pick a card each. He then took Mel B's phone and used it to take a photo of her holding the three cards. After he had done this, Mat "accidentally" dropped her phone into a glass of water, then put it inside a bag and appeared to dry it using a hair-drier, but actually made it vanish. Heidi was instructed to call Mel B's number, and the vanished phone began to ring from an unknown location. Mat led Mel B to a set of seats near the front row. He took out a blade and used it to cut one of the seats open. He told Mel B to look inside the seat, and she found her phone inside, identifiable due to the photo of the cards that Mat had taken earlier. Furthermore, the chosen cards (The Six of Spades, the Four of Clubs and the Two of Hearts) formed the number of the seat in which the phone had been found. Though the trick was a little slow to get going, it was worth it for the final reveal, which was creative and unique. The presentation was polished, and the routine successfully blended the spectacle of Mat's Quarterfinal trick with the technical skill of his earlier performances. He has now reasserted himself as a major favourite.
How Did Smoothini Fare?
Smoothini chose to stick with Close-up magic, but performed directly in front of the judges table as he did in the auditions. He did tricks with Howie's ring and pen and Nick's shoelace. Smoothini begun by making the ring pass through the shoelace, the made it pass from the shoelace, which was now held in Mel B and Heidi's hands, to the pen, which they held between them in their other hands. He appeared to push the pen through his ear, then made it appear from his mouth. Finally, he made the ring vanish from his hand and reappear tied to the laces on his own shoe. Again, Smoothini was undermined by the simplistic nature of his tricks. Whilst Old-school magic does fit his Old-school presentation style, he should try and do something more unique and spectacular. The standard for magicians is very high indeed, and by focusing on tricks that are both small and conventional, Smoothini is allowing himself to be overshadowed by his rivals. Smoothini has the flair and showmanship needed to be a great magician, but he was the weakest of the two magicians competing tonight by some distance.
What Did The Judges Say?
Mat Franco received unanimous praise from the judges. Howard said that he was a deserving finalist and a "Pro". Heidi called him "unforgettable", and Howie said his performance was "amazing". Mel B claimed that she would have been very annoyed if anything happened to her phone, but praised Mat's delivery and personality.
Smoothini also received a number of positive comments. Heidi and Mel B both praised his tricks for being hard to figure out, and Howie said that, in contrast to his last performance, Smoothini managed to make the room "explode" in applause. However, Howard remained critical. Although he praised the presentation, he felt that the tricks remained too small.
What Was The Competition Like?
As was the case last week, none of the acts were truly great, but none of them were terrible either. Jonah Smith is a talented singer, but by dropping his band and choosing to cover Hot 100 hits, he has lost everything that made him unique. Baila Conmigo emphasised teamwork and delivered some good tricks, but Salsa dancing can get a bit dull after a while. Jaycob Curlee delivered a version of "Your Song" that was a step up from his previous performance, but he lacks the vocal power needed to be a potential finalist. AcroArmy provided some amazing tricks, but there is a risk that people may not vote for them. Kelli Glover sang "Love on Top" by Beyonce, but she made mistakes when she needed a to give flawless performance in order to go through. Wendy Liebman made the judges laugh, but I didn't find her very funny. Blue Journey provided some great visuals, but their routine got a bit boring towards the end. Emil & Dariel are great cellists, but got overshadowed by their backing band. Christian Stoinev put too much emphasis on his dogs, ending his otherwise strong routine with a superfluous magic trick. Quintavious Johnson ended the night by singing "I'd Rather Go Blind". He gave a powerful performance, but his vocals can still sound immature at times.
Verdict
Mat Franco was one of the standout performers of the night with his elaborate and spectacular trick, and he is therefore almost guaranteed a place in the final 12. Smoothini's performance was an improvement on his quarter-final routine, but it was still a disappointment. He has a moderate chance of qualifying, though if he makes it through, it will probably be as a judges choice.
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