Insaisissables

"First rule of magic: always be the smartest person in the room." J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg)

In the case of the magical little entertainment called Now You See Me, you don't have to be the smartest person in the audience to be charmed by the illogical "magic" of the tricks or the script. In a takeoff of traditional heist films and homage to recent films like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and The Prestige, with a smattering of smart, sometimes humorous chatter, this film moves at rapid pace (French director Louis Leterrier knows how from his Transporter films) with a lack of seriousness about the tricks, which are mostly explained as the film moves on.

Those revelations will bother purists who don't want to know the secrets or critics who demand a reasonable arc for the story. Like the magic itself, the film eventually captures the imagination enough to suspend disbelief and just go with the fun.

The "four horsemen" (Atlas, played by Eisenberg; Merritt by Woody Harrelson; Henley by Isla Fisher; and Jack by Dave Franco) create three successive magic shows, one in Las Vegas, a second in New Orleans, and the third in New York. The stakes rise incrementally as they appear to be playing Robin Hood to their large, American-Idol type audiences by showering them with money from their magical heists. The FBI with Agent Dylan (Mark Ruffalo) is in hot but bungling pursuit.

As in most thrillers, there are minor twists, and the final one that stretches credulity, or that some will see coming, along with a hopper full of smaller ones even naïve I could see from far off. Besides, like the Oceans films' heists, it's not about the heist or the magic. It's about the slick magicians, their easy banter, and comeuppance for the real baddies.

Outrageous set pieces like the car race will disconcert those looking for a tightly-told narrative. The magic is as always questionable because film deals in magic with practically every frame. However, the cast is delightfully comic, the direction speedy and tricky, and the entire film wants you in on the magic. For a summer film, that's a magic formula.

Imagine Now You See Me as Ocean's Eleven meets The Prestige and you sort of get what director Louis Leterrier was going for with this film. Is Now You See Me as successful as the aforementioned films? Not necessarily, but it's a fun movie that deconstructs the acts of modern magicians.

The story follows four Vegas magicians, known as the Four Horsemen, who rob a bank in the middle of one of their shows. What follows is a cat-and-mouse thriller where the FBI chases after these magicians, always one step behind, trying to figure out how they did it.

Where Now You See Me works best is when Leterrier creates cinematic sequences showing us how these magicians used real-life magic tricks to befuddle and dupe both their victims and the FBI. As well, if you want a film with twists and turns, this one will not disappoint. While most of the major twists can be found out before revealed, there is still a joy in watching those twists unfold, thanks to Leterrier's Sherlock Holmes' style of visual deduction. However, the script often falters in one of the most crucial areas, that of character.

Leterrier and company are constantly trying to balance the breakneck pace with the large cast of characters, and it just leaves the characters hanging out to dry. Character development is sorely lacking in Now You See Me, to where I never really cared about any of the characters. Part of this is because the film is constantly shifting points of view. The first thirty minutes follow our Robin Hood-like magicians, and then it switches to the FBI agents tracking them down, but then the film has the magicians constantly one step in front of the FBI to the point that it makes the FBI often come across as buffoons, and I find it hard to care for characters who are so easily fooled. Ultimately, I feel that had the film focused entirely on one set of characters, like the magicians or the FBI, the film would have been stronger and been easier to find a focal point, but as it is the film's core is often muddled.

While Now You See Me may not be a grand slam, it's still entertaining, thanks to the thrills and visual style of the film. Bottom line, if you're a fan of the heist genre, you'll like this movie. For me though, it just lacks a further script rewrite to have become one of the best examples of the genre.

I give Now You See Me an 8 out of 10!

"Now You See Me" (2013) is a tremendously fun film starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine.

Four magicians (Eisenberg, Harrelson, Fisher, and Franco) are invited to an address. Inside, they encounter a few tricks. A year later, these four have become The Four Horsemen and are doing a show in Las Vegas. They end the first performance that we see with a bank robbery that doesn't look like an illusion.

The FBI gets right on it and sends in an agent, Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) and Interpol sends one as well, Melanie Laurent (Alma Dray). Rhodes is arrogant and thinks figuring out how these four did it is going to be easy, but it isn't, even with the help of a big-time illusionist exposer (Freeman). Of course, that robbery isn't going to be their last as the agents become more and more frustrated.

Be ready for the twists and turns, distractions, and sleight of hand. Nothing is as it seems.

Highly entertaining film, with good performances from the young cast, working alongside two major pros, Caine and Freeman. I know the film is preposterous but so are a lot of plots. When a film is well done, I say just relax and go along with it. I'm always amazed at how people review a film like this as if it's Citizen Kane. My advice: If you want reality, don't watch movies.

Now You See Me is a very entertaining movie, the cast is excellent, Jesse Eisenberg is very well, Mark Ruffalo for me is the best actor of the film, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Melanie Laurent, Morgam Freeman, Michael Caine and etc., everyone is well, the direction of the film is good, most have some problems, I found the badly explained film, and the Plot Twist the film is somewhat predictable, has great moments in the film, the visual effects are good, the script even a little poorly explained, can sustain the film, the soundtrack is cool, plus the film loses some strength in the end, get well, more will lose some quality in the course of the movie, Now You See Me is a movie cool and fun, is a good pass time. Note 7.1

There are a lot of reviews already for this movie, so it is unlikely anyone will read mine. But I feel like I have to weigh in on this movie.

This is the most fun I've had watching a flick in a very, very long time. This movie is a riot! It isn't quite as clever as it thinks it is. Most of the surprises weren't terribly surprising; off the top of my head I can identify at least three that I saw coming. But I don't care.

It was fun! It was funny and engaging and I found myself simultaneously rooting for both sides. There is no shortage of action, the dialogue is peppy, and - unlike almost everything else I've watched lately - it's never boring.

Do yourself a favor and don't analyze. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Movies don't have to be life-altering.