Light & Magic
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Light & Magic
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Light & Magic is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how movie magic is made. The first half of the series covers the inception of George Lucas' special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and how the company made the Star Wars films. The second half explores the company's contributions to more blockbuster movies and the inception of CGI. There are numerous anecdotes of incredibly hardworking people who believe in teamwork and aren't afraid to try new things, even when the stakes are high. The majority of people featured in the first half of the series are White men, with a few women and Asian people featured in the second half. Short glimpses from lots of scary movies are shown, including dinosaurs from Jurassic Park, King Kong, skeleton sword fights, Avenger battle scenes, the Titanic sinking, war scenes, a face melting off in an Indiana Jones movie, and lots of footage of monster and horror movies. A man discusses crashing his car and wrapping it around a tree; pictures of the wreckage are shown. Minor profanity includes "damn" and "bitchin'." A couple of crew members talk about being employed on a porn film for a short time, and a faraway shot of a rocket shaped like a penis is briefly shown.
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What's the Story?
Showcasing the professionals behind Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the special effects division of LucasFilm, LIGHT & MAGIC takes us back in time as they create the effects for some of the biggest and most successful films of the last half century.
Is It Any Good?
Young children may lose patience with the incredible amount of detail in this epic new docuseries, but older kids, adults, and Star Wars fans of all ages will be entranced. Brought to us by Lawrence Kasdan (writer of The Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) through extensive interviews with George Lucas and the rest of the people responsible for everything that movie special effects are today, Light & Magic looks at the history and innovation of the industry in a way no one else could. Interviews with the biggest directors of the past 60 years, classic footage of the early bonding days of Lucas, Coppola, and Spielberg, and mind-blowing stories on how some of film's most iconic sets and effects came to be are all a part of this treasure trove of film history. Packed with stories of boot-strapping creativity spanning from Star Wars' earliest days to the arrival of Jurassic Park and its revolutionary CGI, the series is a love story to innovation, perseverance, and teamwork that the whole family will love. The only thing it's missing is a thoughtful look at what it took for women and people of color to break in to positions of power in a decidedly White and male industry.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how much movie special effects have changed over the years and how much patience was required when doing things the old way. Which effects seemed the hardest to achieve and why? How did computers change everything?
How do the people on the ILM team display curiosity? Why is that essential to the work that they do?
How did the ILM team encourage teamwork from the very beginning? How did each member having multiple skills help?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 27, 2022
- Cast: George Lucas
- Network: Disney+
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: STEM
- Character Strengths: Curiosity, Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-14
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: August 1, 2022
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