Review: Now You See Me

Summer Movie Magic

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: May 31, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Running Time: 115 minutes

Director: Louis Leterrier       

Writers: Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, 

Edward Ricourt           

Cast:  Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, 

Woody Harrelson, Mélanie Laurent, 

Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, 

Morgan Freeman

"Now You See Me" is the perfect summer "popcorn" flick: light, breezy, and entertaining – and it doesn't waste any time! After briefly introducing each major player, it gets right into the action.

The four magicians at the heart of the film are trickster J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), escapist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), and young lockpick expert Jack Wilder (Dave Franco).

They each receive a card inviting them to a specified location. Daniel and Henley already know each other; the others are strangers. Before long, they are an official group: The Four Horsemen (not to be confused with this or them). Why have they all been brought together, and by whom?

Their first magic trick is to rob a bank in Paris – while they're in Vegas.

This criminal act – or is it? – earns them the immediate attention of the authorities. They're quickly captured and interrogated by an overwhelmed FBI agent, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), and his assistant from Interpol, Alma Dray (a super-cute Mélanie Laurent).

"The first rule of magic," Daniel announces before befuddling them with trickery: "Always be the smartest guy in the room!"

As it turns out, the FBI and Interpol aren't the only ones after The Horsemen. Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), a former magician who now debunks the tricks of the trade, is hot on their trail as well. But Daniel and his crew have a powerful ally: Financing them is insurance tycoon Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine).

The rest of the movie is composed of dazzling tricks and fast-paced chase sequences – both, sometimes, in the same moment.

"Now You See Me" is pure Hollywood summer escapism at its best: fast, furious, and fun! If you stop to think about what's happening, there are bound to be a few holes in logic you could poke through with a magic wand. Luckily, the action moves far too quickly to really allow any time for that – at least while you're watching. The entire script is much like a great magic show: one trick after another.