Oscar winner Ben Kingsley plays a magician with a mysterious secret. He lives alone with his jaguar, Shadow, in the Spooky House, an old mansion rigged with magic tricks and hidden chambers. In spite of all the urban legends about the reclusive Zamboni, young orphan Max (Matt Weinberg) believes he can befriend him. his attempts to charm the magician, however, are met with stubborn resistance. As Max and his friends try to uncover the secret of Zamboni's past, they are harassed by a trio of teenage bullies who work for the town's eccentric crime queen (Oscar winner Mercedes Ruehl). When the bullies chase the kids into the Spooky House on Halloween, a night of hilarious magic and spectacular illusions ensues. In this funny, heartwarming story, Zamboni and Max ultimately discover the power of real magic.