Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Mélanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Dave Franco
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Screenplay by: Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin
"Come in close, because the more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you."
This is one of those movies in which the trailer doesn't show you the full picture of what's going to happen in the film. I love movies like this.
The Four Horsemen is a group of magicians (all played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco) whose talents have truly amazed the world. But it's when they rob a bank in Paris during their show in Las Vegas that their skills truly shock people, and catches the attention of both the FBI and Interpol. Now it's up to Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and his partner from Interpol (Mélanie Laurent) to figure out their magic tricks.
This story has twists and turns all throughout the film. This is the first film in which the trailer for the film actually contains a tip for how to watch this movie. It's one of the most complicated mystery movies I've seen in a long time and you're going to want to follow the tip the trailer gives you. In fact, I've mentioned it above. So, don't think too hard about what you're actually seeing because what's actually happening is probably something totally different.
The concept behind Now You See Me is pretty cool. But the execution of this concept is only okay. The editing for this film is pretty bad, and there are so many quick cuts from one shot to the other, that it's pretty easy to get dizzy and sometimes confused with what you're seeing. It may even give you a headache for a while after you leave the theater. And sometimes the camera is rather shaky. The film isn't like Criss Angel's show Mindfreak either. In a show like that, in order to show you the trick, there will be a continuous shot of the entire trick without any cuts. Now You See Me is the exact opposite of this, showing us that all this magic is due to the power of editing. But this is the movies; nobody wants to talk about magic that way.
As for the acting: Jesse Eisenberg delivers a strong, but not The Social Network strong, performance as he usually does. Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco all deliver solid performances, making it seem like the Four Horsemen actually get along outside of their magic shows. Mark Ruffalo delivers a performance so intense that it seems like he's going to turn into the Hulk at any moment during the film. In some instances, he's downright overdramatic.
Since this is a film about magic, one should expect the special effects to simulate an actual magic trick that will amaze us without making it seem like special effects. For the most part, the film does a decent job of amazing us with magic tricks, but as I said above, the constant cutting and editing are somewhat detrimental to the experience.
Overall, this could have been a better movie. It's biggest drawback is the editing. It really can make for a less than pleasant viewing experience. However, the concept is very cool and makes for an incredibly intricate and complicated mystery plot. So, if you plan to see this film, try not to think too hard about what you're seeing. All will be explained.
I give Now You See Me a B-.
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Screenplay by: Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin
"Come in close, because the more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you."
This is one of those movies in which the trailer doesn't show you the full picture of what's going to happen in the film. I love movies like this.
The Four Horsemen is a group of magicians (all played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco) whose talents have truly amazed the world. But it's when they rob a bank in Paris during their show in Las Vegas that their skills truly shock people, and catches the attention of both the FBI and Interpol. Now it's up to Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and his partner from Interpol (Mélanie Laurent) to figure out their magic tricks.
This story has twists and turns all throughout the film. This is the first film in which the trailer for the film actually contains a tip for how to watch this movie. It's one of the most complicated mystery movies I've seen in a long time and you're going to want to follow the tip the trailer gives you. In fact, I've mentioned it above. So, don't think too hard about what you're actually seeing because what's actually happening is probably something totally different.
The concept behind Now You See Me is pretty cool. But the execution of this concept is only okay. The editing for this film is pretty bad, and there are so many quick cuts from one shot to the other, that it's pretty easy to get dizzy and sometimes confused with what you're seeing. It may even give you a headache for a while after you leave the theater. And sometimes the camera is rather shaky. The film isn't like Criss Angel's show Mindfreak either. In a show like that, in order to show you the trick, there will be a continuous shot of the entire trick without any cuts. Now You See Me is the exact opposite of this, showing us that all this magic is due to the power of editing. But this is the movies; nobody wants to talk about magic that way.
As for the acting: Jesse Eisenberg delivers a strong, but not The Social Network strong, performance as he usually does. Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco all deliver solid performances, making it seem like the Four Horsemen actually get along outside of their magic shows. Mark Ruffalo delivers a performance so intense that it seems like he's going to turn into the Hulk at any moment during the film. In some instances, he's downright overdramatic.
Since this is a film about magic, one should expect the special effects to simulate an actual magic trick that will amaze us without making it seem like special effects. For the most part, the film does a decent job of amazing us with magic tricks, but as I said above, the constant cutting and editing are somewhat detrimental to the experience.
Overall, this could have been a better movie. It's biggest drawback is the editing. It really can make for a less than pleasant viewing experience. However, the concept is very cool and makes for an incredibly intricate and complicated mystery plot. So, if you plan to see this film, try not to think too hard about what you're seeing. All will be explained.
I give Now You See Me a B-.
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