[Movie Review] Now You See Me (2013)
Plot Summary: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.
Director: Louis Leterrier
Writers: Ed Solomon (screenplay), and Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt (screenplay/story)
Runtime: 115 min
Main Cast:
- Mark Ruffalo as Dylon Hobbs
- Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley
- Jesse Eisenberg as Michael Atlas
- Woody Harrelson as Merritt Osbourne
- Isla Fisher as Henley
- Dave Franco as Jack
Review: by Lee
When I saw the trailer for Now You See Me, I was very excited. I love magicians, and I love movies about bank heists. I thought this was a match made in heaven. I was not disappointed
What I Liked:
I did not figure it out. I thought I knew what was going on, but I had no idea. The twist was very surprising, and quite fitting for the movie’s theme of misdirection.
I loved the magic tricks, especially Merritt’s mentalism. The scene in which Merritt Osbourne (Woody Harrelson) is introduced was hilarious. His hypnotism was an incredible, and necessary, part of the movie.
It was a really funny movie, which I didn’t really expect. Merritt was particularly amusing. Thinking about it, I now realize that he actually carried most of the verbal comedy himself; although, Michael Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) had his moments. There was a surprising amount of physical comedy involved in the police attempting to capture a bunch of skilled magicians, most notably in the scene in which Dylon Hobbs (Mark Ruffalo) is attempting to detain Jack (Dave Franco).
The special effects were pretty good, involved mainly in Henley’s (Isla Fisher) illusions.
What I Didn’t Like:
The acting was not spectacular. The veteran actors, Ruffalo, Harrelson, Cain, and Freeman, were suitably solid, but no one stood out in quality. The others were not horrendous, or even bad, but I expected more from such big name stars. I was particularly disappointed in Isla Fisher’s performance; although, she may have been attempting to just play a magician with poor stage presence. Her introduction scene was the worst of it.
Some of the plot lines seemed unresolved or underdeveloped. The romance between Dylon Hobbs and the female Interpol detective didn’t seem like a major part of the movie, yet they came back to it in the end. I can’t say I bought into it. Also, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) and Arthur Tressler’s (Michael Cain) interactions seem to be used entirely as a plot device to keep Thaddeus near the action. Finally, the ultimate fate of the Four Horsemen is dubious. For all intents and purposes, it is resolved, but I’d have liked more explicit details to their ending, mostly in regards to the existence of “The Eye.”
Summary
Now You See Me was an enjoyable movie which was humorous, adventurous, and clever. It is by no means an Oceans, as someone suggested to me, but it kept me guessing.
You can purchase Now You See Me on Blu Ray on Amazon here:
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