Normally, nobody would ever consider putting ‘criminal‘ and ‘magician‘ in the same sentence. But this isn’t ‘normal’, this is “Now You See Me”. The movie tells the tale of four magicians; Woody Harrelson as “Merritt McKinney”, Jesse Eisenberg as “J. Daniel Atlas”, Isla Fisher as “Henley Reeves”, and Dave Franco as “Jack Wilder”; who call themselves “The Four Horsemen”. Combining their abilities to pull off a bank heist and rob from the rich, the magicians have not only perked the interest of fans, but also a rich tycoon now benefactor, “Arthur Tressler” played by Michael Caine, an ex-magician now ‘trick revealer, “Thaddeus Bradley” played by Morgan Freeman, FBI agents and Interpol who are hot on their heels.
Mark Ruffalo plays FBI agent, “Dylan Rhodes”, a man who doesn’t believe in magic, but cannot understand how The Four Horsemen pull off their tricks. Accompanied by Interpol agent, “Alma Gray” played by Melanie Laurent, Dylan and Alma both try to find out how the magicians are pulling off their stunts to try catch them in the act.
Whilst the impressive cast line-up and interesting storyline seem promising, the film is let down by a lack of character development. We practically know nothing about the characters despite what has already been stated above. I’m not sure whether this is due to lack of budget or the fact that the film has a sequel. Nevertheless, it did feel incomplete. This does not mean that the film is bad.
If you’re curious to view “Now You See Me”, it is an enjoyable film. However, it is far from perfect.