'Now You See Me' Review [TRAILER]: Critics Say Caper Film About Thieving Magicians Disappoints
Now You See Me, which premieres, May 31, has a promising cast, but critics said the film disappoints.
The movie centers around an FBI agent and an Interpol detective who track a team of illusionists that pull off bank heists during their magical performances and reward their audiences with the money.
Now You See Me is entertaining and all of the components that make a good film are in place. Director Louis Leterrier, however, while focused on what it is that makes a good caper, forgot about what makes a good movie: character development, carefully constructed tension and believable plot points, according to a review in The Washington Post.
J. Daniel Atlas, played by Jesse Eisenberg, is an arrogant magician who performs large-scale tricks, and Merritt McKinney, portrayed by Woody Harrelson, is a charming mentalist adept in hypnosis. Isla Fisher stars as Henley Reeves, Atlas' former assistant, who now performs solo and subverts expectations as a damsel in distress and a heroine. Jack Wilder, played by Dave Franco, is an up-and-coming musiciam with a talent for picking locks and pockets.
"When they all meet, we're just as in the dark as they are," said NPR.
A year later, the magicians, now calling themselves the Four Horsemen, headline a popular show in Vegas and promise to do something never before seen - steal 300 million euros from a bank vault in Paris.
When the trick is over, the magicians are easily caught by the FBI. Their case is assigned to agent Dylan Rhodes, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo. Rhodes is both frustrated with the case, which makes him look foolish, and with an Interpol agent named Alma Dray, played by Melanie Laurent, who demands that she be included in the investigation.
When the FBI is forced to release the Horsemen, the magicians fade to secondary roles and Rhodes becomes the protagonist.
Thaddeus, played by Morgan Freeman, is a pompous myth debunker and TV personality whose main role is to make Dylan look like foolish while he explains how the Four Horsemen pull off their stunts.
"Unfortunately, the choice to follow Rhodes often renders the experience a con movie seen from the most boring angle, that of the ineffectual cop constantly a step behind," said NPR.
Now You See Me is, according to critics, an unconvincing caper.
Watch the movie trailer below.
