Penn & Teller are the undisputed 'bad boys' of magic. Ever since they burst onto the scene they have broken just about every rule of magic. The one that gets them in the most trouble is that they often give away the secrets of how their illusions are done. This, of course is a big no-no. In case you have only seen them in passing and don't know who is who… Penn Gillette is the tall, pony-tailed loudmouth of the duo. He is brash and in-your-face, reminding one of the carnival barkers who won’t let up until you've paid your two-bits to see the 2-headed snake. Teller, on the other hand, is completely quiet and unassuming. As a matter of fact as a part of their act, he never speaks (though he will talk in interviews). He is the much shorter of the two and I've always thought he looked a lot like Henry Gibson during his Laugh-In days. In spite of the flack they get from their fellow prestidigitators, there is no questioning their talent. Both are sleight-of-hand masters, and Teller can escape from just about anything.

Over the years, they have parlayed their stage act into movies and guest appearances, and are even enjoying the success of a Showtime series (Bullsh**) where they uncover the behind the scenes realities of popular fads or debunk famous myths (kind of the Amazing Randi).

Recently, the two filmed a special at a resort in the Caribbean called Off the Deep End. The reason for this double entendre of a title? They opted to perform most of their illusions under water. As a matter of act, they even manage to pull off one of my favorite illusions, Houdini's Metamorphosis below the surface. I've had friends who were professional magicians and have actually been involved with performing this illusion and I can tell you that it is tough enough on dry land.

A&E is releasing this special on DVD this week, and while I would still highly recommend it to most Penn & Teller fans, be prepared to see a rather family-friendly version of the duo's act. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with that, its just there are times when you feel that someone else wrote their script. It's almost like watching comedian Bob Saget doing his stage routine (which is howlingly funny) then sitting down to listen to him spout the groaners that he was forced to say on America's Funniest Videos. Penn seems to be holding back and some of the routines suffer for it.

The DVD does feature a couple of nice extra features though. There are some deleted scenes, which feature a few extra minutes of magic… always a plus with these two. There is also a short featurette that offers some footage of the setup for the show.

Anytime you have a chance to watch Penn & Teller, it is a treat. They are two of the finest magicians around, even if you have to get used to their style of performance. Off the Deep End does not really give you a full blown Penn & Teller experience, but its still worth it for the mind-blowing illusions these two pull off.

Starring: Penn & Teller
Extras: Magic from the Cutting Room Floor - "Turning Ocean Water Into Drinking Water" and "Moving Tan Line", Expanded Scene - Not So Classic Sleight of Hand Performed Underwater, Biography of Penn & Teller
Specifications: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: A&E Home Entertainment
Release Date: 4/25/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Penn & Teller: Off the Deep End a C+.