Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, 2025.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer.
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Rosamund Pike, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Daniel Radcliffe, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, Thabang Kamogelo Molaba, Myah Banton, Lyssandra Skye Arias, Paisley Day Herrera and Mali McEwan.
SYNOPSIS:
The Four Horsemen return along with a new generation of illusionists performing mind-melding twists, turns, surprises, and magic unlike anything ever captured on film.
While it is to be appreciated that Lionsgate has finally gotten the sequel title right this time in its series centered on magician heisters, opting for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, director Ruben Fleischer (alongside a ridiculously crowded screenwriting team consisting of Seth Grahame-Smith, Michael Lesslie, and Deadpool duo Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick) doesn’t seem to grasp that a movie about magic consisting of predominantly CGI special-effects is both cheap and defeats the point, no matter how entertaining aspects of the heist are or accounting for that, sometimes, the loopy stupidity here is charming.
Two such insulting examples stick out, with Jesse Eisenberg’s Four Horsemen leader (a group of Robin Hood-reminiscent magicians stealing to redistribute wealth for the greater good) getting into a magic-off with his younger counterpart (since every sequel these days has to introduce a new, hipper team) in Dominic Sessa’s Bosco. This game of showmanship (which is, at the very least, dynamically shot with constant camera motion) naturally features card tricks that quickly descend into ludicrous territory, levitating them. That’s before these two start performing the same tricks with the rare diamond that is the center of the heist. There comes a certain point where what’s happening on screen crosses over from a fun illusion that doesn’t necessarily need its trickery explained to flat-out dumbness.
Here’s another example: during a getaway from South African criminal and diamond enthusiast Veronika Vanderberg (with Rosamund Pike putting on an accent so over the top it gives Tommy Wiseau a run for his money, eliciting laughter anytime she speaks), the gang attempts to make their escape in a chopper that is quite literally real. That is, before the special effects turn into a cardboard cutout, where we then see our heroes zip-lining across buildings.
The entire point of magic is that, even though they wonder how something was accomplished, they also don’t want the illusion broken since, deep down, they know it’s real somehow. Despite a couple of fun practical sequences, such as one involving a rotating room or watching these characters throw playing cards at enemies like they were ninja stars (which is still ridiculous, but at the very least doesn’t involve CGI within an occupation built on intelligent and handcrafted deception), and a fun enough plot that sees the joining of two teams to stop Veronika’s nefarious plans involving the diamond, this is another entry that, if anything, feels robbed of magic.
That’s also disappointing considering that, not only has the entire group returned in feature-length roles (but not without some annoying bickering about why they broke up, why they don’t want to reunite for mission each of them has been individually brought into, and whether or not they should get back in the game), but the prospect of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco interacting with promising younger stars such as Dominic Sessa, Justice Smith, and Arianna Greenblatt is tantalizing. In their defense, the chemistry is there, and the story’s concept is so unabashedly ridiculous that it’s amusing enough to watch.
Understanding the purpose and point of magic should be at the top of the list for Ruben Fleischer; instead, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is an unwieldy cross between an elaborate heist, CGI standing in for magic, puzzles and riddles that feel rejected from Uncharted, hilariously campy villains, and generational clashes. Perhaps that’s a trick that could have been pulled off if the filmmakers weren’t betraying the illusions of magic at every turn.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
