I've been anxiously awaiting this installment, because my TW DVDs are sitting in storage in another country. I was really looking forward to a refresher because it's been a while since I've done this routine and I don't have my materials here.

From the opening statement of the tutorial, I was disappointed. And I have never been disappointed by DH's work before. But we do not get TW in this version of The Tamed Card. It has been reduced to not much more than DH's Walk on the Wild Side handling of Wild Card.

None of the nuances and psychology that TW had worked out for this routine is included. The routine has been reduced to a standard handling of Wild Card; although, DH does keep the basic presentation premise.

If you want to do a good Wild Card routine, just get DH's Walk on the Wild Side, which comes with the necessary cards. Either buy Tommy Wonders Visions of Wonder or his Books of Wonder.

It should be noted that DH acknowledges in his opening statement that TW purists are probably not going to be happy with the changes he's made. I stand firmly in that group.

This is a difficult review to write, not only because I don't like writing negative reviews, but I have a lot of respect and gratitude for Penguin Magic, Dan Harlan, and their contributions to magic.

I am not a Tommy Wonder purist, but like most magicians, I recognize that his contribution to the art form was in the details of his work. What made his effects so especially brilliant—beyond his abundant talent as both a close-up and stage performer—was his attention to not only detail, but simplicity. As he paraphrased at the beginning of of one of his Visions of Wonder DVDs, he strived for effects that were "as simple as possible—but no simpler."

Each week's video has felt like a gut punch, as the brilliant balance both "simple" and "no simpler" has been hackneyed on both ends, married to some poorly executed—improvised?—presentation. The effects have been over complicated with new elements added that muddy rather than enhance the effect (e.g. the duplicate card in Magic Ranch). Conversely, the methods have been dumbed down in a way that lowers the impossibility of the effects. (over-simplifying and removing nuance from the Tamed Cards, in this case)

This is not to say that changes of presentation and method/apparatus are not inherently bad, and are very welcome! In fact, I think Dan's presentation of this effect around the spectator's name is stronger than Tommy's timer/hobby presentation which I always found the weakest element of what is otherwise the pinnacle of Wild Card routines. I also think that a four-way forcing deck is not the most practical for most purposes, and appreciate Dan's offering an alternative.

Otherwise, most of this routine and the ones that have come before, feel like a series of shortcuts were taken to make the effect easier to perform and/or explain, but at the expense of the effect. And much more importantly, to the expense of the very essence of what makes Tommy Wonder's magic so wonderful.

If this was called "Dan Harlan's interpretations of The Books of Wonder", or Simplifying the Books of Wonder - sure, then at least what you've offered to us wouldn't feel like false advertising. But instead, I feel rather conned and deeply disappointed as this could have been something really special. I've considered requesting a refund, but feel that in this difficult economic time, I'd rather take the loss to support Penguin and Dan.

And so I'll stay along for the ride, but will keep my expectations low. I will also recommend that everyone purchase Visions of Wonder, perhaps the greatest 3 DVDs of magic I've ever owned or watched. You won't agree with every choice he makes, or love all his presentations, or find all his methods the most practical. But the attention he gives to every subtlety is the dfiference between a good magician and a great one. That 5-10% makes the magic is the difference between a C minus and an A plus. And this let-down of a series is a C minus at best.

Warning Tommy Wonders Tamed Card is not taught
Dan Harlan teaches his version

When you advertise to teach a performers trick it must be that trick. You can teach a variation but they original must be thought.

Example you can’t advertise Dai Vernons cups and balls and not teach it that is fraud

Tommy Wonder was one of the best Magicians of all time. Everything is in a routine for a reason that is why he was so great.

When Dan teaches he states I’ve made some changes that I think improve the effect. His opinion is not valid it’s not his effect and his versions will not get the same reactions due to his changes

On all these a Books of Wonder Videos his routines must be taught period or it’s false advertising. It’s ok to add veriastion but the original routines must be taught please please please for the sake of Magic and for respect of Tommy Wonder

Tommy was a shrewd comedic master of premise and presentation. Dan Harlan appears to have wrung out most of what was great about Tamed Card, arguably the pinnacle of all Wild Card routines. The premise that Wonder mined to glorious effect in his original has been discarded based on an apparent misunderstanding of where the original's power lay. Premise, script, method, presentation, performance and effect are inextricably linked. In an apparent effort to open the routine up to everybody, Harlan strips away essential factors in the original's success. Change the premise and you change the heart of the trick. What you end up with is a tame imitation completely lacking the original's comedic wonder.

This is not the Wonder routine, it’s Dans interpretation which leaves out a lot of the psychology that makes the original routine so good. If you want a good wild card routine get it, if you want the wonder routine stick to the book or tommy wonders dvd set.

With all due respect although the title is 'The Tamed Card presented by Dan Harlan' The graphic shows The Tamed Card - Tommy Wonder.

Dan has the chops so why not show both Tommy Wonder's version along with his version of the effect.

The version I prefer is Ultimate Wild Card by Jean-Pierre Vallarino, but the heat is on the cards to be sure. It has to be situated within the act at a time when the audience have yielded to the suspension of belief. By the time I get to it they have seen the equivalent of a borrowed deck do the impossible and have pretty much conceded to the pointless affair of examining the cards any longer.

Dan's version lends itself more to an impromptu performance, and it can be done as an opener where as I would not perform Ultimate Wild Card by Jean-Pierre Vallarino as an opener. I need to establish a true ability to do the impossible before doing something that impossible. Although just as impossible The Tamed Card removes dismisses much suspicion because the spectator holding cards that have visibly changed faces during the routine.


Still Dan talks about how complicated it is to get through some of Tommy Wonder's moves from the book. So again why not show them? What are those difficult moves?

This is after all Dan's tribute to his work. I am by no means a purest. All ideas can be improved upon, but this is review is more about the expectation learning Tommy Wonder's routine and handing style and then maybe the bonus handling by Dan Harlan and Dan gets a 5 out of 5

4 out 5 because I learned some additional spectator management aspects from this tutorial.

The routine Dan provides is a simplification of Tommy Wonder's Tamed Card routine. Dan provides a great routine that is well thought out. The production is good quality. I felt there were a couple places where he could have provided more detailed instructions on slights (buckle application for example). I came away not being sure of some details. However I felt it was well worth the very reasonable price which is why I gave it 5 stars.

Unpopular opinion, but I actually like Dan's routine a little more than Tommy's. Now, I love Tommy's, but for what I'm trying to fit this into, I think that Dan's just works a sleight bit better. Definite buy

Thanks to prior reviews I knew this was not the Tommy Wonder routine. This is in fact a watered down version. I believe the changes weaken the routine. I entirely disagree with Dan's assertion that Tommy Wonder had incorperated an element just to show his cleverness. I believe Tommy made it as simple as possible to attain the desired effect. Dan's changes ignored when Tommy said "but no simpler". Dan did make it simpler and it shows. I do wish he had also completely taught the Wonder version. The Wonder DVDs don't teach it in great detail. I had read reviews before purchasing this and knew what to expect and it did not cost much. I do not like Dan's watered down routine but there are some more detailed teachings of some of the moves he retained and at least one color change variation that I will likely use that is a slight variation but very pretty. I think it was worth my time and money for that

Very magical effect. This time around, Dan looks great in both the presentation and execution. His handling is also an improvement, in my view, over the original. And for what it's worth, he includes the template for an ungimmicked envelope to carry the wildcards. Envelopes made with this template can also be used for other effects.