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Who doesn’t love a magic show? There’s something about the mystery of a good trick that makes us want to get caught up in the illusion. And that’s the case for director Louis Leterrier’s new crime thriller, Now You See Me, too. It may not be genuine, but the cast puts on a decent show.
Now You See Me follows four successful magicians known as The Four Horsemen as they team up to pull off some pretty remarkable tricks. When the quartet appears to steal more than €3 million from a Parisian bank during a Vegas performance—before distributing the stolen money to their audience—they attract the attention of both Interpol and the FBI.
The investigation is led by FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), a frustrated skeptic who wants nothing more than to wipe the smug grins off the Horsemen’s faces. With help from a pretty Interpol agent (Mélanie Laurent) and a famous debunker (Morgan Freeman), he sets out to stop the magical criminals—only to find that he’s always a step or two behind.
Just like any other magic show, Now You See Me requires a suspension of disbelief. After all, this isn’t the smart crime caper that you might be expecting (or at least hoping for). Instead, it’s a flashy but amusing illusion—one whose success relies almost entirely on the audience’s willingness to play along.
The film definitely has its share of flaws. The dialogue is sometimes uncomfortably awkward—especially when it’s coming from the quartet’s lesser magicians, played by Isla Fisher and Dave “I’m James Franco’s Brother” Franco. Ruffalo’s character, meanwhile, is sadly clichéd and blatantly clueless. And when the story comes together in the end, it’s best not to try too hard to make sense of it.
But Now You See Me also offers plenty of entertaining [movie] magic. While the CGI tricks often feel a bit cheap, it’s still surprisingly easy to get caught up in the illusion and imagination of it all. And the massive, star-studded ensemble cast makes it all worthwhile. Freeman and Michael Caine may appear in relatively small roles, but they give the film some substance, while Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson give it plenty of attitude (think Eisenberg in The Social Network and Harrelson in…well…anything).
Now You See Me definitely isn’t a movie for the skeptics or the nit-pickers. It’s a little bit cheesy—and if you analyze it too much, you’re sure to be disappointed. But if you’re willing to give in to the flawed magic of it all, it’s still silly, showy fun.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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