Now You See Me

Ever since Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige came out, I have been optimistic about magician movies. In reality, most of the “magic” can be concealed easily with digital effects and camera tricks, but I am still drawn in by the spectacle. That’s what Now You See Me bases its entire premise on, spectacle. In the film, a group of magicians team up and gain fame by stealing money from the rich and giving it to the commoners who support them. All the while, Mark Ruffalo, an FBI agent and Melanie Laurent, an Interpol agent, try to catch them and figure out their secrets. Obviously twists and turns occur.

The magician team, known as the four horsemen, is played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco. Each character has their own interesting magician personality, which translate well to the screen. Eisenberg carries the group both within the script and on camera. Harrelson adds his trademark level of snark and Franco has a few exciting moments where his talent is on display. Just like in The Great Gatsby, Fisher is middle of the road. But for the most part these magicians, who are by far the most interesting characters, play supporting roles to the law enforcement team tracking them down and Morgan Freeman, who is a magic debunking television personality. That proves quite unfortunate because every time the four horsemen are on screen, the action and entertainment levels spike.

Ultimately the film ends without fulfilling the potential the first act has. That occasionally happens with movies that deal heavily in mystery early on. The answers aren’t always as cool as the questions. “Now You See Me” is a great thinking movie that does well to engage the audience. The story, as well as the performances, build support for the characters without a whole lot of individual development. It is also worth noting that Michael Caine is wasted as a stodgy millionaire backer of the magicians. Ultimately the film is an exciting display where the potential for clues forces the audience to watch more closely than is entirely necessary. Could a sequel titled “Now You don’t” be on the way? Probably not, but it would be cool.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.