Now You See Me 2 Review

Jun 7

Preview

PG13: Violence and Some language

Summit Entertainment, K/O Paper Products

2 hrs and 9 Minutes

Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Jay Chou, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Caine, with Morgan Freeman, and Daniel Radcliffe

One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public's adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, The Four Horsemen resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry, a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.

REVIEW: I remember being very fond of the first Now You See Me back in 2013. I happened to find it very clever and fun and something I never seen before. It was a Mission Impossible caper with magicians how cooler can you get? Yeah the twist was unnecessary and to me a bit of a cop out to all the build up the film had, but hey the success of it granted a sequel. And sequels are supposed to be bigger and better right? Right?

THE GOOD: With Now You See Me 2 the magic is more expensive this time around. The tricks are cooler, the adventure is more fun, and most of all there are a lot of clever Mission Impossible-eque type sequences. Then there are fun action sequences that are pretty cool to watch.

Most of the original cast is back with the exception of Isla Fisher who is now replaced by a new character named Lula played by Lizzy Caplan and she constantly steals the show when she is on screen. It isn't only her presence that's fun but its also her character. She's quirky and consistently funny. The rest of the cast are charismatic too and all seem to be having a lot of fun as well Another actor that stands out is Daniel Radcliffe. His new character may be weak for sure, but he is very charismatic with the material he's given. Plus I just find it both hysterical and ironic that the man that we known as Harry Potter is not only in another film involving magic but is playing the main antagonist. That may be the most clever casting I've seen this year.

Just like the last film, this has a satisfying third act that is rather engaging which makes for a ending that is quite sweet for the depressing opening that it shows. This ending catches you by surprise and goes on to make you just say aw and when you see it you'll either go "really?" or "aw that's nice."

THE BAD: As much as the first Now You See caught us by surprise, this sequel really doesn't. Remember the explanation in the end of the first of how all of the tricks were made possible? Well in this every single trick that is done is explained immediately or several minutes after its done which just drags the film out to the longer running time that it has. When we watch movies, we don't need to be spoon fed every single thing that is going on, it only makes the experience dull and tedious and this is a prime example of just that.

Though the film has some stylistic direction from Jon M. Chu who seems to have learned his lesson after Jem and the Holograms and some sweet cinematography from Peter Deming, the script is really boggled down to just a generic caper that really just steals from the fourth Mission Impossible film. The main thing about this film that is very annoying is that it tricks you constantly with twists to surprise you that by the end of it it lacks the element of surprise.

LAST STATEMENT: Now You See Me 2 may have a charismatic cast, but this sequel is just as basic as pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Rating: 2/5 | 43%