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Karl Hein & John George: Cube FX Reviewed

Three DVDs, tons of effects, 5 hours and $80 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

Effect

You're getting two routines and bunch of bonus ideas. First is Karl Hein's routine. In this 3 phase routine, you first have a spectator mix the cube which is placed in a bag. Snap the fingers, and bam, the cube is solved. Phase two is that you introduce a second cube, and quickly mix it up in just a few seconds only to reveal that it's mixed exactly like the cube that the spectator just mixed. Finally, a mixed cube is placed on a spectator's hand. They think of a color, and magically, that color becomes solved on the cube that is in their hand.

John George's routine is similar, but he introduces another marketed effect, The Enchanted Cube, to add an extra level to Hein's routine.

Method

Other than the need to use The Enchanted Cube for part of George's routine, there are no gimmicks required. You will have to supply your own Rubik's Cube for the routines. You'll need at least three identical cubes. I recommend the YJ GuanLong. It's $4.00 bucks, and moves like butter. I feel like I've said that before.

The effects in this DVD set range from self working to medium level of skill. They will take practice and it's helpful if you know how to solve the cube, but it's not 100% neccessary for you to do these effects.

The methods are very much within the grasp of any skill level, but it definitely does require some practice on your part. All good magic does. Some of the methods require you to solve one color, others require no solving skills whatsoever. With the multiple bonus ideas covered on the DVD, the methods can range anywhere from requiring one cube to multiple cubes.

Additionally, the method for "mixing" the cube is very deceptive, yet super simple to do. The method for "magically" solving the cube is also very simple and deceptive. Again, it will take practice. Some of the effects allow the spectator to mix the cube, while others do not.

The core method is extremely flexible and allows you to do a ton of different effects. Here are just a few that are shown on the video: behind the back solve, a cube in each hand . . . both solve instantly with just a shake of the hands, a cube held in your extended hand solves as you do a full body revolution, a mixed cube is placed on a spectator's hand and a picture is taken with her phone . . . a moment later the picture has changed to a solved cube (or just one thought of side solved), etc., etc.

Once you've mastered the core technique, the doors will open, and you'll be able to customize a routine that fits your personality.

Ad Copy Integrity

I was actually disappointed (in a good way) with the ad copy. They took the opposite approach from what many magic producers do these days. They (i.e., Karl Hein and John George) way undersold this. So is the ad copy accurate? Is the product as good as it says? Not even close. The product is much, much better than they claim.

They don't really put a lot of details in the ad copy, so there's not a lot to compare to it. Watch the trailer to get a sense of the audience reactions and somewhat of a feel of the type of effects found on the DVD.

Product Quality

The only issue I had with the product quality was the lack of a Play All button. That makes for an annoying viewing experience. Other than, the product quality is superb. One of my favorite things about Karl Hein products is watching a true master of the craft. Karl Hein is one of the best slieght of hand magicians of our time, and not enough people know that. He's a clever guy and a brilliant thinker, and most importantly (due to years of performing for real people), he is very detail oriented, and it shows in his teaching ability.

He covers everything in depth with excellent detail and pointers. His full routine (including multiple variations of method and effect) is covered in depth. Additionally, he covers several other marketed products (not his own products) that he recommends if you want to add even more to your routine. None of those marketed methods are required to do Karl Hein's routine, but he mentions them anyway to let you know how much more is possible with other products out there.

Speaking of other products, John George combined Hein's routine with what, I'm pretty sure, is the oldest Rubik's Cube effect on the market, The Enchanted Cube. The addition of two Enchanted Cubes makes for even more possibilities. This is covered in the bonus section where tons and tons of other ideas are addressed.

The DVD set is 5 hours long. That includes a how to solve the cube video by Tyson Mao. This DVD includes the basic method, speed method and even a legitimate blind folded method. I will say, however, that on the blindfold method — I was already familiar with this technique — the hardest part, the memorization, was not covered, just the mechanics of the solve. However, in his defense, until you can solve it using that method while not blindfolded, the memorization is moot. Other than that, the how-to-solve DVD is very thorough and easy to learn from. Plus it includes a whole bunch of cheat sheats and sample solves.

Additionally, there's an entire section about the cube itself, history, credits (both magical and non-magical), types of cubes, how to re-sticker them, etc. When combining all of the elements found on this DVD set, it is by far the most comprehensive DVD on cube magic to date.

Final Thoughts

Considering the fact that you're getting such a comprehensive resource on the subject plus tons of bonus ideas and so much more, the $80 price tag is a small price to pay.

Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem