By George & Josh Bate
In 2013, Lionsgate released the slick, blockbuster heist film Now You See Me in 2013, which introduced a world in which a quartet of stage magicians called the Four Horsemen pulled off audacious robberies for both entertainment and justice. That film, even with a star-studded cast, was something of a surprise hit, with lots of twists, turns, and tricks. Next came the sequel, Now You See Me 2, in 2016, which dialed everything up, for better and for worse. It was more global, with an even grander story, and magicians that were more superhero-like than ever. The illusions became so grand and the physics of the magic so unrealistic that the sequel fell into the trap of feeling like it was following a group of magical superheroes saving the world, as opposed to streetwise magicians using their environment to bring bad guys to justice.
In Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, the story brings back the original Horsemen: Danny Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Woody Harrelson (Merritt McKinney), Dave Franco (Jack Wilder), and Isla Fisher (Henley Reeves), and teams them up with a new generation of magicians, played by Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt. They all face up against Rosamund Pike’s Veronika Vanderberg, the heiress to a powerful South African family who made their fortune through years of abusive practices in the diamond industry.
The biggest compliment one can give to Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is that it successfully captures the magic (pun intended) of the original. The sense of spectacle and scale are there, as is the twisty heist structure, but it doesn’t collapse in on itself as the second installment did. The story is tighter, with the writers continuing to delight in misdirection without going too far or outlandish. The magic sequences feel just realistic enough to keep audiences engaged in the story without thinking about the “how” of it all, too.
Operating much like a legacy sequel a la Halloween (2018) or The Force Awakens, director Ruben Fleischer’s excels in integrating a new generation of characters into a story featuring legacy players. The younger trio are interesting leads, compelling in their own right, and hold their own against a cast full of stars from the first two films. Each new hero brings their own strengths to the mission and unique personalities, which creates a new dynamic that sets this sequel apart from the previous films. The back-and-forth between “old-school” Horsemen and “next-gen” illusionists gives the film an interesting generational tension between the old and new, especially between Eisenberg’s Atlas and Dominic Sessa’s Bosco.
Unfortunately, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t errs in a similar manner as its predecessors in featuring, at times, cringe-worthy performances and dialogue. The film often takes itself too seriously, inflating the importance of its characters and becoming unintentionally comedic, especially when the Horsemen deliver big speeches to crowds. It’s an issue that has hampered all three films in the trilogy at this point and, while charming at times, undercuts the dramatic weight and entertainment value of the story.
It wouldn’t be a Now You See Me movie without twists and turns, and the latest installment is no exception. The various magic trick set-pieces are more fun than ever here, with a scene in the first act involving a diamond heist proving particularly compelling. After nearly two hours of well-crafted tricks, the film fails to pull off its final magic trick by culminating in a predictable reveal. This is particularly disappointed as the preceding film keeps you on your tones with brisk pacing and a variety of entertaining set-pieces, rendering the resolution to the story frustratingly flat.
VERDICT: 6.5/10
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is a welcome return to form for the twist-filled franchise, recapturing the fun and ingenuity of the first film without going too over the top as the second installment did. Operating like a legacy sequel a la Halloween (2018) and The Force Awakens, director Ruben Fleischer’s film seamlessly integrates a new generation of magicians into the cast of established Horsemen and features plenty of playful tension between the generations, in particular with Jesse Eisenberg and Dominic Sessa’s characters. Unfortunately, like its predecessors, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t features an abundance of cringe-worthy dialogue and performances that take one out of the intensity and drama of the story. Similarly dampening on the viewing experience is a disappointingly predictable reveal, made all the more frustrating given the slew of exhilarating twists, turns, and magic trick sequences that proceed it. Far from a perfect film, the latest installment in Now You See Me franchise largely overcomes some of the franchise’s trademark failings by offering a thrilling, twist-filled, and (dare we say) magical time at the movies.