It has partly to do with the tension between ugly reality and uncanny beauty a rich man's home Kit and Holly invade takes on the air of an enchanted castle but also with Kit's likability.

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"Your bow is part of the act, as important as a trick you're doing, " Ms. Zimmerman advised a junior who made doves appear out of the air, followed by a weak bow, during a recent academy session at the Castle.

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Just on the level of sheer spectacle -- and these are movies we're talking about, spectacle is no small matter -- a flick like "Jack the Giant Slayer" has a lot going for it: a perilous daylong climb into the clouds, a castle in the sky worthy of Hayao Miyazaki, waterfalls that drain into thin air and the delightful sight of a 100-foot chef sneezing into his pastries.

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