Now You See Me, 2013.
Directed by Louis Leterrier.
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mélanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Michael Kelly.
SYNOPSIS:
During a live performance, a group of magicians calling themselves The Four Horsemen somehow manage to rob a bank in another country and they give the stolen money away to their audience. Can Interpol and the FBI figure out how this was done before the final act?
First of all the cast in Now You See Me is excellent throughout, from the big name stars to the supporting players. The Four Horsemen are comprised of Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco and all are excellent in their roles. They act like you want a magician to perform and all are believable as they carry out their respective tricks. It has to be said as well that the balancing act in trying to give each actor their own shining moment is excellently managed as we get to see Harrelson hypnotise, Franco pilfer, Fisher shock and Eisenberg bedazzle. And Isla? Hello?
The talent on show isn’t limited to the big four however as the supporting cast throughout the picture are not only recognisable but perform with gusto in almost all of their roles. Special mention has to go to the bit-part roles that Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman take. Unfortunately for us they don’t get much screen time, but they both add a tremendous presence to the picture as well as comforting familiarity thanks to their years on screen.
The one actor who doesn’t seem to be on his best form however is Mark Ruffalo. While an incredibly likeable actor, he seems a little bored on screen at times and doesn’t really keep with the pace of the film – but that could just be nitpicking as he has drawn the short straw when it comes to interesting characters.
Special praise must also be given to the film’s director, Louis Letterier, as he has made sure that all tricks are performed with a real sense of authenticity. Even I, much to my annoyance, at one point was fooled by one of the early tricks on show.
Letterier also manages to give the film an excellent sense of pace as the movie bounds along so fast that sometimes we’re given very little time to catch our breath. It’s also hard to notice many of the little clues that are dotted throughout the film and you’re left constantly trying to figure out what’s going on and who is behind everything. This works well until the final act which feels a little disappointing as several twists are revealed which you either saw coming or didn’t really fit in with the story. Having said that, you are left cursing yourself that you couldn’t work out everything in time, so the film has to be given credit for not showing you all of its cards too early on.
The one big issue I found with Now You See Me is that I couldn’t help but think of the most excellent film The Prestige. Whether it’s the fact that they share a subject matter or simply that they share an actor (Michael Caine), I couldn’t help but think that Now You See Me was almost a kiddie-friendly version of the Christopher Nolan classic. This of course may be an unfair comparison but both films carry the same level of mystery and try to outwit you in a similar way, so it’s just a shame that this movie doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as The Prestige.
However you view it though, Now You See Me is a very enjoyable romp with enough in it to keep you entertained throughout and is one that you’ll want to see again to spot what you missed the first time around.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Ozzy Armstrong is a Stargate and Rocky superfan. Follow him on Twitter.
Originally published July 3, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
