You know David Blaine right? The dude who locks himself in ice buries himself alive and generally does stuff that makes you go "HOW?!" Well he's back with a new show called David Blaine Do Not Attempt and it's a trip . Forget card tricks in Times Square this time Blaine is traveling the globe diving deep into real danger and it's surprisingly awesome .
Not Your Typical Travel Show: Blaine Hunts Down 'Real-Life Magic' in 'Do Not Attempt'
Think Anthony Bourdain but instead of food tours Blaine is on a quest for extreme human feats. Do Not Attempt isn't your usual magic special. It’s a six-part docuseries where Blaine jets off to remote corners of the world to hang with people who do seriously mind-blowing stuff not for applause but just because. We're talking folks who eat fire walk on hot coals and face down venomous snakes. Blaine is ditching the illusions for something way rawer: real-life human limits being pushed to the max.
First stop Rio de Janeiro! Then Thailand Indonesia and beyond. Blaine isn't just watching he's getting in on the action. He's learning from scorpion handlers snake charmers and high divers. This show is like a wild travelogue mixed with a dose of extreme reality TV. And yeah it gets intense.
From Snake Charming Fails to Burning Sleeves: Blaine Shows His Vulnerable Side (Seriously!)
One of the coolest things about Do Not Attempt is that Blaine lets his guard down. Usually he's all stoic magician dude but here we see him struggle we see him fail and we even see him freak out. Remember that cobra training in Thailand? Yeah there's a moment where he straight-up runs away from a spitting cobra. It's honestly kind of endearing. He's not trying to be Mr. Cool all the time instead he's genuinely impressed and sometimes a little terrified by the people he meets.
And get this there are darkly comic moments too. Like in Brazil to prep for a fire jump stunt Blaine decides to test how long his fire gel lasts by setting his own sleeve on fire. Spoiler alert: it doesn't go well. He underplays the pain so much that his crew takes too long to put it out and he ends up low-key barbecuing his arm. It's Blaine hurting himself but with this weird detached humor that's actually pretty funny in a dark way.
Hot Coals Razor Blades and King Cobras: Blaine Pushes His Limits (and Maybe His Sanity)
Blaine really throws himself into these experiences. He tries eating hot coals in Java learns how to stick knives into his face in Rio and attempts to kiss a King Cobra in Indonesia. He admits there’s no trick to the hot coal thing just pain and more pain. After eating those coals he says his mouth throat and esophagus were burned for days. Ouch. This isn’t just about magic tricks it's about pushing physical and mental boundaries to some crazy extremes. And he's showing us all the messy parts the fails the "oh god this hurts" moments.
Behind the Danger: Meet the Safety Expert Keeping Blaine (Relatively) Alive
Of course with all this craziness safety is a big deal. Enter Sebastian "Bas" Pot Blaine's safety expert. Pot jokes his job title is "Glorified Nanny" but he's seriously crucial. He specializes in keeping everyone alive when Blaine is doing insane stuff in remote places. Pot has three rules: "No one dies everyone gets paid and we all smile and laugh every day." Pretty good rules right?
Pot emphasizes that Blaine even though he does wild stuff is actually super calculated. It's all about preparation repetition and staying calm. Pot uses tech to check wind speed and monitor Blaine's vitals but a lot of it is just being observant and making sure everyone is focused. And even Pot admits there are things Blaine does that he himself wouldn't attempt. That’s saying something.
Beyond the Stunts: Blaine's Real Motivation and the "Magic" of Human Potential
So why is Blaine doing all this crazy stuff? He says it's about pushing his limits overcoming challenges and finding "real magic." He sees these performers he meets as kindred spirits people who have pushed themselves beyond what seems possible. He's inspired by their dedication their training and their ability to make the impossible look well… almost possible.
Blaine connects it back to his childhood and being fascinated by Houdini. He was drawn to the idea of using his mind to overcome physical limits. He even shares a story about pushing himself on his swim team as a kid. For Blaine this whole series is about celebrating human potential and the "magic" that comes from hard work failure and never giving up.
And yeah he knows it looks a little goofy sometimes. He even laughs about parodies of his work like that "South Park" episode. He gets the humor and seems to be in on the joke. But underneath it all there is a real sense of wonder and respect for the extreme performers he showcases in Do Not Attempt. For Blaine "real magic" isn't just illusions it's his daughter achieving something or witnessing incredible human feats firsthand. And that's what this show is all about.
Daredevil Highlights from 'David Blaine: Do Not Attempt':
- Fire Jump (Brazil): Blaine sets himself on fire and jumps off a high bridge after training with high divers.
- Cobra Kiss (Indonesia): Blaine attempts to kiss a venomous King Cobra after weeks of training.
- Arctic Ice Swim (Finland): Blaine swims under a thick sheet of ice holding his breath with no wetsuit.
- Scorpion Body Suit (Southeast Asia): Blaine lets live scorpions crawl all over his body.
- Hot Coal Eating (Java): Blaine tries eating hot coals learning it’s all about pain endurance not trickery.
- Knife Face (Rio): Blaine learns to insert a knife handle-deep into his cheek.
- Bee Beard (Southeast Asia): Blaine attracts a swarm of bees to his face and torso for a "bee beard" stunt.
Final Verdict: Is 'Do Not Attempt' Worth Watching? Definitely.
David Blaine Do Not Attempt is not just another magic show it is something different something more. It is part travelogue part extreme sports documentary and part personal journey for Blaine himself. It is funny it's intense it is sometimes cringe-worthy but it is always fascinating. If you're looking for something that's a bit off the beaten path that explores human limits and that even shows a vulnerable side of David Blaine this show is definitely worth checking out on Disney+ or National Geographic . Just remember the title: Do Not Attempt any of this at home… or anywhere really.