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REVIEW: The Full Monty by Liam Montier and Big Blind Media
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars!
LINK TO REVIEW: www.mylovelyassistant.com/reviews/view/5161
FULL REVIEW: The Full Monty is a Liam Montier creation brought to us by Big Blind Media. It is a monte routine with a few crazy kickers. It is incredibly strong and takes your spectator by surprise.

The performer apparently displays four cards all of which have the name of the card written on the backs. As if that were not enough, the see three red backed Bicycle cards with the word “Joker” written on their backs and one green Bicycle card with the word “Queen” written on the back. Before the spectator can make a bet as to where the Queen is, the performer puts away what appears to be one Joker card and asks the spectator if they want to wager and find the Queen. Of course, this is a joke because all the cards have the names written on the back in permanent marker (which you will do as a one time setup) and the Queen is green. But, the performer, out of nowhere, spreads the cards and there are two new cards (a yellow and a purple) with the word “Queen” written on its back. The spectator thinks the trick is over and then the cards are turned over and they are all Aces. The Joker and Queen, which were previously displayed, are gone! At that point, the fours cards can be handed out for inspection.

The trick comes with 6 Bicycle playing cards and an instructional DVD taught by Montier. The DVD chapters are well organized. It starts with a two minute studio performance of the trick performed by Montier to two spectators. There are several different instructional tracks with different level of detail. There is a short instructional track that does not teach the necessary moves and sleights which is about 6 minutes. There is also a chapter that teaches the various sleights which is also about 6 minutes long. The teaching of various moves such as the Ascanio spread, the Elmsley and Opec counts, multiple lift and block push off are reviewed quickly. It is likely that this instruction is not sufficient for a beginner. Montier also teaches a two minute recap for magicians who have given the trick a rest and need a quick refresher after not performing the Full Monty for a while. That is a very good idea.

The Full Monty is a very well-thought out routine, the set up is easy and you can reset on the fly in about a second. This routine is excellent for walk around and table hopping.

To become proficient with this trick you may need to practice several moves, which are not complicated, but will need practice to get it down.

There are two gimmicked cards in the pack and they may wear out with frequent use, but nothing that a bit of spray or stick cannot fix.

The DVD production is good, but the instructional chapters are filmed in an empty café at night and there are unwanted shadows in the background. Not the best work, especially for a BBM production. Nonetheless, Montier’s instruction is clear and he uses multiple angles to teach.

The promo video shows you exactly what the trick looks like once you have completed your practice and it is expertly executed. However, the ad copy is not 100% accurate. The ad copy claims that this trick is “Super easy to do.” While it may be super easy for some magicians, it will not be for all. This is not a trick for a beginner that does not know basic sleights. When ad copy claims that something is super easy, it should be capable of being performed right out of the box. As referenced above, there are multiple moves, sleights and counts that makes the “super easy” claim a bit misleading. Certainly, the beginner would be frustrated.
If you like the promotional video and know the moves referenced above, this is a great trick.

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