Directed By: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Cain and Mark Ruffalo
What It’s About: An FBI agent tracks a team of magicians who pull of impossible heists.
Rated PG-13 (for language, some action and sexual content)
Runtime: 115 minutes
By Shelby Clemons, Staff Writer
Next time you go to the movies, you could see one of the many sequels out there (Star Trek, The Hangover Part III, Iron Man 3) or you could see a movie about magic; no, really. Now You See Me is a surprise hit that may be in the back of your mind. The trailers have been out for months and it’s the kind of film that makes you think “That looks good, maybe I’ll see it,” but didn’t have tons of show-y promotion like the other films out right now. Now You See Me’s tricks and illusions make it unexpectedly good and it makes magic cool.
The engaging plot is what stops Now You See Me from being a snoozer with its few predictable points. The arrogant showman J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), the charming hypnotist Merritt (Woody Harrelson), the vixen former-assistant Henley Reeves (Isla Fischer) and the card shark/expert lock picker Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) are a group of street performers united by a mysterious person. One year later, they are given instructions to perform a series of grand illusions that begin with a show in Vegas. The show is sponsored by insurance magnate Arthur Tressler (Michael Kane) where, under the name of The Four Horsemen, the magicians seemingly rob a bank in Paris and give the audience $3 million.
This illusion catches the attention of FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and his new Parisian partner, Interpol Agent Alma Vargas (Mélanie Laurent). But after interrogating the magicians, they realize they have no explanation except magic. Rhodes seeks assistance from a former magician named Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) who now makes money off of exposing magicians. Bradley tells Rhodes exactly how the illusion happened: with months of preparation and plenty of distractions. The Four Horsemen prepare for their grandest illusion in the following months, all the while being hunted by the FBI.
The one word to describe Now You See Me is clever. Many movie critics are not dazzled by the magic, but instead think the film is no more than a scheming Vegas show. However, where the magic tricks could be cheesy, they are genuinely interesting, eye-catching and cleverly manipulative. The special effects are not tacky or distracting, but one of the best tricks of the film. Whether you fall into its trap or not, you’re still left staring at the screen with all of the non-stop action.
Now You See Me fails in that it has a few too many clichés: there’s the foreign federal agent that becomes a love interest, a car chase scene through the streets of New York (complete with a car explosion) and some predictable twists. The conclusion has a few too many twists and loose ends, but not all of them are predictable and it could mean a sequel.
Michael Kane is brilliant as usual and Morgan Freeman, who is usually so cool and wise, actually shows some vulnerability. The impressive cast does well enough in their roles, even if they don’t deliver outstanding performances.
Now You See Me isn’t going to be a blockbuster hit, but it’s unexpected and quite original. Highly entertaining and imaginative, Now You See Me will make you believe in magic. Or, at least, really well-planned illusions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MHDYZJWLXA
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