YMMV / Carnival Magic

• Designated Hero: Alex's antics are supposed to be cute and funny, but oftentimes they are just downright dangerous, especially the sequence where he gets behind the wheel of a car and endangers lives in the process (and not just that of the hapless woman also in the car). It's downright unbelievable that the carnival didn't get sued by either the woman, the sheriff, or the owners of the fruit stand Alex destroys.
• Funny Moments: The sheriff sitting sadly on top of his cruiser as it is towed away is an amusing sight. It even serves as The Stinger to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode.

• Nightmare Fuel: Kirk beating up his girlfriend when she makes it clear that she wants nothing to do with his plans near the climax. It comes off as a legitimately frightening moment in an otherwise goofy movie.
• Rooting for the Empire: Considering how much trouble Alex actually is, no one will really fault you for wishing he had actually died at the end of the movie.
• Special Effect Failure: Alex can talk, but mostly he just mutters under his breath in order to avoid having to do any kind of lip-syncing.
• Strangled by the Red String: Ellen and David. While they have known each other a while, they end up kissing only a few minutes after they finally have some alone time and talk to each other, and then end up engaged shortly after that. And then there's the fact that she's underage and, while his age is a bit ambiguous, he's most likely an adult.
• Uncertain Audience: This was a movie aimed at kids and families, yet it has silly scenes involving Alex and magic tricks while at the same time having scenes of violence between major characters and some rather adult subject matter.
• What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: This was intended as a movie for kids—yet the climax involves the comic-relief talking animal attempting suicide to avoid being vivisected, and also includes scenes involving the drunk antagonist beating his girlfriend and other material unsuitable for kids. Even the other wiki acknowledges this:
  Producer Elvin Feltner and director Al Adamson intended the film as family fare, aimed at children. But the prevalence of adult themes (alcoholism, sex, abuse, violence) left many viewers confused.
  • Also, Does This Remind You of Anything?: There's a scene where Bud/Ellen is supposedly rubbing Alex's belly, but it's filmed at an angle where it looks like she's doing something obscene. This is nasty enough in a movie intended for adults, let alone kids!