Price$30.00
Media TypeTrick, Online Instructions, Gimmick(s)
CategoryClose Up, Stage
Date AddedOct 28, 2023
THE FLOATING CUBE
Uday Jadugar
Uday's Magic World
(Based on 1 review)
Can be performed on stage or even in open area with surrounded audience.
A highly colorful effect.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Overview
1 "Rubik's Cube", 1 ITR, 15 minute of "training", $30 bucks, and 1 The Floating Cube Magic Review.Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect
Supposedly a floating cube. But actually, an animated cube.Method
A very light cube, and an ITR. Typical method for this type of stuff.Product Quality
The cube, up close, looks and feels cheap because of the super lightweight material it's made out of, but at a decent distance it will pass as a cube.The ITR is surprisingly well made, and has a unique design I've not seen before that allows easy access to the secret stuff, and ease of repair upon secret stuff break-age. You can even adjust the tension on it. It's a pretty decent ITR.
To keep the ITR in place there are two magnets on it, and a metal plate you put in your pocket so you can stick your ITR to the plate. When opening my box, one of the magnets was broken off of the ITR.
The training video is well lit, well mic'd, well shot, etc. It's a typical Murphy's Magic production.
However, the teaching itself is lacking quite a bit. Javier does a great job showing how to cause the cube to roll over, "stick" to your finger, how to set up and take care of your ITR, etc.
However, during the whole video I was wonder how to get into and out of the set up. Then at the end, there is a section on just this subject. However, it was completely useless.
In a total of exactly 27 seconds (yes, I timed it), you get the following (I transcribed it):
"Now you also want to consider how you're going to bring this in and out of play. If you have a briefcase you can maybe start with a regular Rubik's cube put it away and then bring this one out Or you can start with this one animate it . . . put it away and then say oh wait I forgot to show you what I wanted to show you in the first place. Now you come out with a regular Rubik's cube and you move on to the routines that you already do"
That is it. Keep in mind that you are attached to the cube. So how, exactly are you switching the cubes? How are detaching? I mean you can break the "you know what" to detach, I suppose. But what about switching from a regular cube to the floating cube. How in the world do you attach during performance?
Further, the supplied cube doesn't look like any cubes that are readily available on the market other than the occasional find at a dollar store, but those cubes can't be used to do Rubik's Cube magic.
Even if you could find a cube that looks the same, you have the problem of sticker color shades, and the fact that the supplied floating cube is mis-stickered and won't match a normal cube.
Somewhere in those 27 seconds, he could have recommended the cube that he would switch in, except for he doesn't know which one, because I guarantee no further thought was given to it than the few seconds it was mentioned.
On top of all of this, the first thing he starts the video with is that you should really only animate the cube, not make it float because when it floats, it will wobble and give away the method.
Later in the video he shows how to cause the cube to rise up from one hand to the other (about a foot away) but states that you want to quick make it rise up and not float because again the spinning / wobbling gives away the method.
Then he mentions that if you know Steve Fearson's hook up, you can make the cube float all over your body, close to the floor and back up.
So in order to do the effect that the cube is named for (The Floating Cube), you cannot do it with the included props. You have to know the Fearson hook up. Even then, the wobble / spin will still be an issue, so you can't float the floating cube. Got it.
Ad Copy Integrity
Ad Copy Claim: "A Rubik's cube floats, dances in the air without any visible support."Nope. The actual tutorial specifically says that this is not possible.
Ad Video Claim: "Imagine being able to solve a Rubik's Cube, and then immediately making that cube roll over on the table . . . "
Nope. You cannot solve, then immediately animate. The supplied cube cannot be mixed up. Only the top and bottom layer can spin, but no mixing is happening, so no solving is happening without switching cubes.
Ad Video Claim: "The perfect way to start or end any Rubik's Cube routine."
Nope. The only way that works is if you know of a way to switch cubes. There is not apparent way to do that, and as already mentioned, it's not taught in the video.
At 48(ish) seconds in, they show footage of the cube floating. However, the tutorial says that you can't do that because the cube will wobble or spin. He's right. You can't do that.
Final Thoughts
- Effect: Not Present.
- Method: Not Doable.
- Product Quality: Bordering Terrible.
- Ad Copy Integrity: Dishonest.
While it's true, you can animate the cube in the ways shown in the trailer, you can't float the cube, and the product is called "The Floating Cube."
If it weren't for the fact that you're provided with a really good ITR — $30 seems to be a good price for ITRs these days — this would be a half star product.
If you want a, relatively, reasonably priced ITR, then maybe this is for you. If you want to do those few animations, then maybe this is for you. I'll tell you who it ain't for. Me.
Final Verdict:
1.5 Stars with a Stone Status of rubble.