Now You See Me | 2013 | Louis Leterrier | Summit Entertainment | May 31, 2013
The film shines when we are first introduced to the 4 young street magicians that would soon come together: Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco). They are brought together in order to become a team known as the Four Horsemen to perform once in a lifetime magic shows. Their shows are financially endorsed by Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), and watched with a watchful eye from Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), a former magician who now makes his dough by revealing other magicians secrets. They Horsemen catch the eye of the FBI after they magically manage to rob a bank all the way in France, all during their show in Las Vegas. This is where FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol Agent Alma Vargas (Mélanie Laurent) come into play. They come to investigate the incidents, but can’t seem to figure any of it out.
The closer you look, the less you’ll see. This is the tagline of the film, and also a major theme. It’s a point that Daniel Atlas makes clear to us multiple times. This tagline is in reference to the illusion element of magic, but it also rings very much true for the movie. Screenwriters Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, and Edward Ricourt, along with director Louis Leterrier (Transporter, The Incredible Hulk), make it their mission to try and keep you guessing from the films get go. The film is so focused on keeping you off track and guessing every little one of its own tricks and twists that it unfortunately loses track of its characters and keeping a level pace.
If you were to guess that the film is about the Four Horsemen, that would be a very safe bet. Now You See Me is at it’s best when we are left dazzled by the 4 magicians who together are an electrifying team. Lets face it who, doesn’t like a bit of magic But actually, the film really hones in on Dylan Rhodes investigation of them, and I found there to be an unbalance that actually leaves these characters underdeveloped and underused. At the end of the movie I could hardly recall any of their names, which really is a troubling sign considering the talent that all of them posses. Eisenberg is good, even if his performance just seems like a magician version of his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg. Harrelson gives a classic Harrelson performance. Fisher and Franco were good but I wish they were offered more to work with. Then you got Ruffalo and Laurent who worked well as a duo, although I wish that their fate wasn’t so damn Hollywood predictable. Freeman and Caine are as veteran as they come, and leave nothing to be desired.
The best parts of the film were left to magic. Watching the tricks go down and the escapes occur were pure magic due to some great stimulating visuals, something that director Leterrier is clearly skilled in capturing. It’s a summer movie that is clearly made for easy enjoyment and some fun. Yet I found myself wondering why the script had to kill us with their attempts to twist and turn, trying to trick us to the point where the payoff is hardly worth it. You will be guessing and second guessing yourself to the very end. While it may surprise you, it is sort of shrug worthy.
As Ken pointed out in his review, its unclear who the “good guys” and “bad guys” are in this film as the lines become muddied during the 115-minute run time. There are plot holes and threads that aren’t fully threshed out. Sure, Now You See me does entertain, but not as much as it should.
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