Having seen the previous two films in the Now You See me series, I was incredibly excited about a third installment, despite the ten year wait. I always loved the magical tricks of the previous movies and hoped for something close with this current film. After seeing it, I found Now You See Me: Now You Don’t effortless magic, keeping a similar feeling as the previous two films and introducing a wonderful new element with the newer cast members.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is a heist film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay written by Michael Lesslie and is the third film in the Now You See Me film series. In the movie, the Four Horsemen, Danny Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), leader of the Horsemen, Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), mentalist, Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) specializing in sleight of hand and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), an escape artist, are sent invitations by The Eye that bring them to the door of a trio of younger magicians. After meeting Charlie (Justice Smith), Bosco (Dominic Sessa) and June (Ariana Greenblatt), they are sent on a mission to steal a one of a kind diamond from Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), head of a criminal syndicate. But stealing the diamond leads to complications and is only half the mission. With the help of old friend, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), will the crew pull off the caper of a lifetime?
One of the elements I appreciated the most is the magic acts incorporated into the story. The story is interesting but for me, what helps drive the film is the magic. As they say in the film, we need magic more than ever in the world. I don’t disagree. This film has fantastic special effects and while some of the tricks are explained, there is far more that just brings a sense of wonder to the movie. Even when the tricks are explained, it just adds to the entertainment of the story and to the movie magic.
The story is engaging. At the beginning, Danny drags the younger magicians, Charlie, Bosco and June with him to help steal the diamond. That creates a hook that keeps viewers watching. The introduction of the other Horsemen brings an excitement factor as the group tries to figure out what to do with the diamond and how to take down Veronika while she comes after them with all her power and money to help her. There are tons of twists and turns in the story that kept me on the edge of my seat. While a lot of the clues are there all along the way, the movie still managed to surprise me a few times because I got so engrossed in the film.
The chemistry within the group is dynamite. Jesse Eisenberg creates sparks with his arrogant personality striking off against Dominic Sessa as Bosco while Woody Harrelson plays Merritt with his usual insightful style, getting into the head of Rosamund Pike’s evil and arrogant Veronika. Merritt pushing Veronika’s buttons is one of my favorite scenes in the film. Isla Fisher plays Henley as calm and caring as she interacts with Justice Smith as Charlie, the mastermind for the tricks the younger magicians create. Ariana Greenblatt is sassy and witty as June and her wit plays off well against the charm that Dave Franco brings to Jack Wilder. The cast plays their parts with skill and allure. Morgan Freeman is delightful. The cast is compelling and keeps the audience engaged in the narrative.
Not every movie is perfect and this one is no exception. There are some predictable moments but I feel that adds to the charm, if you can figure out the mysteries and surprises, you feel like you are as smart as the creators of illusions. There is a fair amount of exposition but this also helps the audience to catch up on the ten missing years for the cast and understand how the illusions and magic tricks are performed. I like the reveals on the magic and the explanation adds to my enjoyment of the heists in the movie.
If you loved the first two films in the series, you will love Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. While the title is a bit on the nose, the tricks and illusions are effortless magic as are the performances. I loved the addition of the younger magicians, it adds a new element to the films. While I won’t give spoilers, I also like how the film wrapped up the ending. The performances of the original crew, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher are entertaining. Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt are charming. Rosamund Pike plays her character with wit and just the right amount of careless disregard for others. I was charmed and entertained from start to finish in this third film in the Now You See Me series.
Rating: 4 out of 5 diamonds.
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