Chase satisfies while supernatural twist falls flat
“Now You See Me” is a magical game of cat and mouse boasting a strong cast embodying somewhat shallow characters. Morgan Freeman is an in-movie spoiler, taking away the magical element but still entertaining viewers to a predictable end.
The illusionists are introduced from the beginning individually, as each of them has their own magic show. A mysterious figure clad in a hoodie is seen watching all of them, and it is understood that this person is responsible for their alliance. Known as “The Four Horsemen” (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Woody Harrelson), they join their talents in pursuit of entrance to a secret magic society.
This team of magicians becomes instantly famous after they claim to rob a bank and then shower their audience with money. When it turns out the bank was actually robbed, Interpol and the FBI are led on a wild goose chase around the US, chasing down the Horsemen and trying to nab them and pin them for bank robbery.
FBI Agent Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is unconvinced that is was “magic,” and as a result is always a step behind the four tricksters. He is continually mocked by a former magician turned professional magic debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), who sees their tricks as run-of-the-mill and wants to take the opportunity to make a killing by demystifying their magic.
When the Four Horsemen pull a heist on their employer Arthur Tressler (played by Michael Caine), they are on the run and on their own, facing ruination from either national and international crime agencies, Bradley, Tressler, or a combination of all three.
Character development falls short considering the name-dropping cast list, with dialogue failing any nuance or personal vendetta the magicians seem to have. There is no real driving force given for the Robin Hood-esque feats. The “secret magic society” element was poorly developed, attempting to explain the magical heists halfway through the movie, but only supplying numerous sheets of paper and weird symbols that held no true meaning. The Four Horsemen are even confused as to who or what they are working for. This idea hangs on throughout the film, interjecting the real chase with Rhodes finding papers and clues that eventually amount to just more questions at the end of the film, leaving viewers wondering why it was even included.
The action sequences are comparable to any action movie criminal pursuit and car chase, but with The Four Horsemen’s own tricks thrown in, continuously warning their pursuers and movie viewers to never look too closely, or that’s when you will miss something.
Their success is predictable, although still entertaining and thrilling, because you will pull for the bank robbers. But just like all their other illusions, Thaddeus Bradley explains the scenario and writes it off, so that even if you were a little in awe or in wonder of how it was possible, he ruins it by uncovering the simplicity of even their most enticing trick. This element is what lends the film to reminiscent of an Ocean’s movie with an illusionist twist.
If you watch this movie in a sort of zombie-like state, you may question the possibility of their magic crimes. If you watch it with any kind of working brain power, you will realize the magicians’ cleverness, but Thaddeus Bradley explaining every detail ruins any bit of magical element the film still held. However, the strong and respectable cast makes up for the shallowness of the characters, and the fast pace of the action sequences and the cleverness of the magic trick design will keep you enticed, even if you do see through the illusions.