The third film in the Now You See Me series has arrived, and with it comes a rousing tale that surpasses the prior to entries in the series. When three upstart illusionists attempt to impersonate the work of the horsemen, J Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), arrives and recruits them into a scheme to steal a valuable diamond from an industrialist who would use the money for ill-gotten purposes and undermine world security.
With the help of his new crew, things appear to be going well, but then take an unexpected turn, which results in a very unexpected reunion with the other Horsemen.
Tensions arise as various members have moved on with their lives and see the reunion as a one of mission that they were forced to take part in.
A line of dialogue suggests a fate for one of the characters that was not seen on film and indicates that something happened after the events of the second film that helped drive a wedge between the crew, but despite varied motivations and concerns, their loyalty and dedication to the task at hand win out. The abundant praise of the younger Illusionists, headed by June (Arianna Greenblatt), allows the team to see their impact on a new generation and drives them and allows them to bask in the flattery provided by those who were inspired by them.
Naturally, there is a much larger caper underway, and the team soon finds themselves traveling the world using their unique talents to foil the grand scheme. The interplay between the characters really worked well for me and the cast truly seems to be having a great time being reunited especially Isla Fisher who was not able to appear in the last film due to pending birth.
The clever setups and twists of the illusions really shine, and the addition of the three new characters allowed for new depth into the established characters as their complicated dynamics and motivations were more on display.
Having recently watched the first two films in the series, I found that I enjoyed this one even more, and the reports that another film is planned are very welcome news, as the ensemble works extremely well, and the mix of magic, action, and drama with a sprinkle of comedy was the absolute perfect formula.
There are some very enjoyable and surprise appearances in the film which should delight fans of the series, and audiences want to make sure they stay alert for a special appearance at the end of the film.
The decpetions are abundant from the puzzles to slight of hand mastery; to say nothing of Jack Wilder’s (Dave Franco), card mastery and the comedic moments by Merritt (Woody Harrelson), all combine to make a rousing adventure that I enjoyed from start to finish and made the movie a very pleasant surprise.
From the winning cast to the engaging and fun story, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” proved to be a sequel that not only shows that there’s plenty of life in the franchise, but that a sequel can be better than the films that preceded.
3.5 stars out of 5
Be First to Comment