Should you watch this if it’s a free movie? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? No.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 115 minutes ( ~2 hours)
Now You See Me is about a group of four stage magicians who perform heists around the world. It’s a “caper film”, as Wikipedia puts it, which means it’s basically a crime story where the protagonists aren’t the law enforcers, and it has a humourous, witty, adventurous tone to it.
The production values are high in this movie, and as many reviewers have noted, it boasts a star studded cast. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, to name the two biggest. It’s easy on the eyes and suitably entertaining, plus the eye candy is much appreciated.
As the movie revolves around the magicians’ acts, each dramatic act of the movie centres around one of the magicians’ acts, with the heists getting larger with each subsequent act (dramatic or magical). It’s a nice touch.
The problem begins halfway during the first act. You don’t know who to root for. The magicians themselves aren’t given much screen time after the teaser, but the ostensible protagonist, Dylan Rhodes (played by Mark Ruffalo), doesn’t seem very competent or likeable, which makes it difficult to root for him. But then you don’t see the magicians in their natural element (as opposed to their stage performances), so there’s no sense of authenticity which will bring you to like them. The cops are unlikeable but the criminals aren’t featured very much, so it’s really a case of not knowing who you want to win in this story.
Which leads on to my next point – the characters aren’t very fleshed out. The four magicians each have a schtick (the pervert, the leader, the chick, the kid), but that’s it. Their characters don’t progress beyond that. The, again, ostensible antagonists are unscrupulous insurance magnate Arthur Tressler (played by Michael Caine) and magician debunker Thaddeus Bradley (played by Morgan Freeman) but again, their characters are one note and show no development through the story. They’re more plot devices than actual people.
Then again, with a cast this large, perhaps it was difficult to go in depth into each character. In that case, why not focus on a select few characters instead of trying to give equal air time to everyone?
The plot itself keeps you on your toes all the time, keeping you guessing who’s who and what’s going to happen next. But after the movie, you’re left with a very unresolved feeling. It feels like there’s a gigantic plot hole, whether or not that’s justified, and that’s not how a film should be making you feel. Instead of making you want more, it makes you wonder if you watched the wrong show or looked away at a critical moment.
I’m a firm believer of fridge logic, which this movie seems to have in spades. It’s an incredibly elaborate and complex scheme that propels the events of the film, but it just doesn’t make sense. It’s like using a 3D printer to build a paper aeroplane – it’s possible but why not just save the money and buy a ream of paper, for goodness sakes?
Now You See Me has a pretty good soundtrack and a grand main theme, which is used for good effect when the action gets a little draggy and to signal to you when something amazing is about to happen.
Also, Isla Fisher was a wonderful, wonderful surprise, showing that she has great range in her acting prowess. Her performance here isn’t amazing, but when you compare it to her previous film, The Great Gatsby, you’ll marvel how she can really pull off her different character roles. Unlike some of her other cast mates, she isn’t typecasted and doesn’t act with the same mannerisms and tics in every role that she does.
All in all, Now You See Me is rather good entertainment, not just for the eyes, but for the mind as well. Watch it – but remember that The Eye is really just a fictional organisation (sigh).
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