Now You See Me 2
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Lizzie Caplan
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Rated: PG-13
I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a fan of Now You See Me, the underrated magician flick of 2013. It's tricky, twisty and flashy. Plus, the cast is great. What more could you want? When I heard about Now You See Me 2, I was excited. (and a little sad that Now You See Me 2 was the most original title they could choose). That excitement was all for nothing because this sequel is a train wreck.
How could this happen? Why do these terrible sequels keep happening to movies that I like? What went wrong with the sequel to my beautiful magician movie?
Well, the plot is a disaster. To sum it up, The Four Horseman reappear from hiding to help a scientist pull off a major heist. Sounds simple enough right? Wrong.
The first act tries to set up several different story lines that don't come together cohesively. Example: Woody Harrelson has a twin who is actually his enemy. Daniel Radcliffe is a scientist who is trying to live off the grid. The Four Horseman are trying to get back on the grid. Mark Ruffalo is an undercover magician. Morgan Freeman keeps showing up in prison. There are too many story lines here. Even when all of the stories connect, the script isn't good.
Another issue is the numerous plot holes. There are so many plot holes and inconsistencies present that you'll leave the theater with many more questions than answers. As the movie comes to a close, it tries to pull off a major ending twist. Yet, in revealing this twist, it completely throws away the ending of the first movie.
One of my favorite elements of Now You See Me is the magic tricks. There are so many impressive illusions that trick the audience and are later explained logically. I figured, this being a sequel, the tricks would get even more impressive. That is not so. They are actually pretty dull here. One scene involves the magicians tossing a card to each other for about 5 minutes to hide it from security. Ah, the joy of sequels. Sure, there are a few neat moments, but nothing that gets close to the original.
The cast is talented. Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, and Woody Harrelson work well together as the Horseman. I have to admit, I really missed Isla Fisher. Her chemistry as the Fourth Horseman worked so well in the original. In this movie, Lizzy Caplan plays Lula, the Fourth Horseman. I'm a fan of Lizzy Caplan, but I didn't like her characterization in this movie. Her character has really awkward lines and forced humor. Daniel Radcliffe was the weakest link of the movie, as the ridiculous and rich genius who uses the horseman to get what he wants.
Now You See Me 2 was one of my most anticipated movies of the summer. Sadly, this magician caper turned out to be another uninspired sequel.
My Rating: 3/10