Reviews
Now you see me: now you don't
Nothing reminds me how old I’m getting quite like the return of a franchise that began in my late teens. Did I think Now You See Me needed to be revisited, especially after the second installment that fell short? Not particularly. But here we are with the playfully titled legacy sequel Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. I imagine Lionsgate is hoping audiences follow the advice of the first half of the title, especially with no real breakout box office successes so far this year.
The movie opens with an inevitable exposition dump to bring newcomers to the franchise up to speed with who everyone is, both old and new. I’ll give it credit though, unlike most movies, this exposition is at least centered around the film’s first grand magic trick, which is, after all, what audiences want to see.
Following the opening, the rest of the plot in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is as simple as it gets. The original Four Horsemen, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), are reunited after being delivered mysterious cards by “The Eye,” calling for them to complete a heist against notorious diamond dealer and villain of the movie Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike). Since it is set to be the biggest heist in the history of heists and the Horsemen have not worked together in years, we of course get some new Gen Z talent to make sure the franchise stays “cool for the kids.” Up step Bosco (Dominic Sessa), Charlie (Justice Smith), and June (Ariana Greenblatt).
The movie packs in plenty of surprises to try and keep audiences engaged, with one standout scene where the old Horsemen face off against the new in an admittedly epic magical showdown that delivers some of the film’s most entertaining moments. Inevitably, though, all the earlier misdirection is just a setup for the grand finale audiences have come to expect from the Now You See Me franchise. To give the movie its dues, the final reveal is genuinely surprising and not one that everyone will see coming.
The franchise has built itself on far-fetched heist plots, which are fine in their own right, but there is also a level of believability that gets lost at times during the movie. Particularly during the elaborate tricks, there are more than a few coincidences that, when a half-billion-dollar asset is on the line, will leave you shaking your head and wondering if director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) and his writing team actually expect audiences to buy into what is happening.
Audiences come to these movies to be wowed by the magic and the big, elaborate set pieces we’ve come to expect, and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t delivers on that promise. There are three major tricks throughout the film that genuinely leave you scratching your head, and when the reveals come in true Now You See Me fashion, you can almost feel the light bulb switch on with that eureka moment. That said, there are a couple of moments within those tricks that might have you shaking your head at just how silly things get.
Speaking of silly, there are more than a few elements of the movie that feel exactly that way. While it mostly comes across as self-aware and leans into those moments, there are times when the dialogue and the needless exposition sprinkled throughout teeter into the territory of just a bit too much. But perhaps the silliest of all is the cartoonish nature of the villain Veronika. I feel sorry for Rosamund Pike, who has to perform an excessively exaggerated South African accent that often feels over the top and lands on the side of comical.
The performances of the main cast are on the whole very solid. As expected, Jesse Eisenberg feels like a scene stealer every time he is on screen. A role like this seems to come extremely naturally to him, so much so that it almost does not feel like acting at times. Dominic Sessa, playing the Eisenberg-esque member of the new group, is a strong addition, as is Justice Smith. There are also a few interesting cameos sprinkled throughout, but at times the movie gives off the same feeling as last year’s Ghostbusters, with so many talented actors vying for limited screen time and an overwhelming sense that there are just way too many cooks in the kitchen.
Perhaps the most annoying thing about the entire movie is that after the climax of the final trick, which in itself would have made for a satisfying conclusion that I am sure most fans would be happy with, it has the audacity to throw in an extra scene teasing another movie. On top of that, it gives a Romeo and Juliet-style ending that left me feeling a little nauseous.
In the grand scheme of things, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t delivers exactly what you would expect. There is nothing particularly new or interesting compared to the previous films. The tricks and set pieces are visually impressive, but no more exciting than what we have already seen. Like the second installment in the franchise, the movie occasionally becomes a little too preposterous for its own good. Hardcore fans and defenders of the series will have a blast, but will it convince any doubters or new viewers to stick around? I am not so sure.
