New Release Review
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, and Morgan Freeman
Director: Louis Leterrier
Now You See Me is the story of four solo illusionists (Eisenberg, Franco, Fisher, and Harrelson) who form a super-group called The Four Horsemen at the request of a mysterious and unknown person. Fast forward one year and they're at the height of their careers with a stage show in Las Vegas where the Horsement rob a bank in Paris and give the money to the audience. FBI Agent Rhodes (Ruffalo) tracks the group with the help of Interpol Agent Dray (Mélanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds) in an attempt to understand how they pulled off such a heist.
Now You See Me is 115 minutes long and I enjoyed the first 85 of those minutes. As the audience we're following Agent Rhodes so as he's investigating how the illusion was performed, we're also trying to figure out how the bank was robbed. This leads to a lot of fun guessing on our part and I think that's what keeps our attention focused on the story. We know it's a trick so we're paying attention to everything, hoping for a clue, so we can solve the mystery. The story itself isn't that strong and there are a lot of holes but as you're watching, you're too distracted by the illusions to really notice (or care).
The major problem I had with this movie is that it didn't know where to stop. I won't spoil the ending, but there is a little bit of a twist, which would have made for a very strong ending that left most of the interpretation up to the audience. Some people say that type of ending is a cop-out because trying to be all things to all people often ends up being very little to very few. Yet I feel it's a very strong way to end a movie that's all about illusion and perception because as we've been told throughout the movie, the closer you think you are, the less you actually see. But by showing us so much at the end the illusion is lost; the game is over. It's the equivalent of turning on the lights before the movie is over. The world that was created on the screen and in our minds is now not a magical place but just like the world outside. Ultimately, Now You See Me leaves you feeling very unsatisfied and disappointed, which is a shame because the majority of the movie was so entertaining.
Verdict? See it, but know you're going to find the epilogue section very unsatisfying. It's a lot of fun and a much needed break from the summer superhero and robot blockbusters.
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