Go figure that in a movie about magicians, the director shows the greatest penchant for trickery of them all. That's not at all a bad thing; director Louis Leterrier (best known for The Incredible Hulk and the first two Transporter movies) has found the key ingredient to making a story like this work, at least in the moment: energy. This is a relentlessly paced movie; in spite of its placement in the summer blockbuster field, Now You See Me doesn't have a whole lot of "action" in the traditional sense. A car chase and a one-on-one fight are present, but aside from those brief staples, this is a movie that leans on sleight-of-hand, surprises, dialogue, and a throbbing musical score to engage the viewer. Some of the film's twists fall apart in hindsight, but credit the filmmakers for not making them so obvious that we scratch our heads while watching (with one exception).
The movie opens with four scenes illustrating how each of the principal characters wow a crowd. There's stage magician J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), who is unabashedly a control freak; hypnotist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), escape artist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), who was once Atlas' assistant before striking out on her own, and con-man Jack Wilder (Dave Franco). They have some success on their own, but when brought together by a mysterious rendezvous point and an elaborate holographic blueprint, they become "The Four Horsemen" and quickly become the hottest show in Vegas. Their first show, which involves robbing a bank in Paris while remaining on stage in Vegas, gains them immense popularity while also landing them in hot water with the FBI. Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol rookie Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent) are hot on their trail, and the group's benefactor, millionaire Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) develops a rivalry with magic debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). But Vegas is just the beginning of a three-act series for the Four Horsemen.
What a cast! Clearly, the names on hand are atypical of a summer thriller, and they elevate the film considerably. The standouts are Jesse Eisenberg, whose Atlas has much of the same sardonic wit as the actor's character in the Oscar-nominated The Social Network (he's even called an asshole at one point, much like in that film), and Woody Harrelson, whose body of work is so eclectic that he's always fun to watch. The Dark Knight duo of Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are also solid, with the latter in particular giving a refreshing portrayal of a character who isn't so noble this time around. Also, although few in the audience will notice it, credit must be given where it's due to Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent in supporting roles. When stretches of the film focus on these two rather than the magicians and their scheme, we're still every bit as engaged. Their storyline has a surprisingly strong payoff.
Much like an action film has showcase set pieces, so too does this one. The trick to getting a movie about magic to impress people is to not rely too much on CGI; once a viewer is aware that computers are doing most of the work, the movie is no longer interesting. Leterrier sidesteps that trap here, offering us magic shows that are not only impressive on a technical level but also keep the story humming along. And even a standard-order hand-to-hand fight scene between Crawford and Rhodes contains clever elements of chicanery. Yes, the movie has Freeman's character helpfully explain events afterwards (as befitting of a magic debunker played by an actor with the narration voice), but each one satisfies rather than disappoints. Is this movie's logic airtight? Of course not. But with a pace this fast and a plan this convoluted, one is not likely to notice most of the gaps in real-world logic until long after the credits have rolled.
Unlike many M. Night Shyalaman film's, Now You See Me doesn't depend on a single, shocking twist to make or break the experience. There comes a time when a final reveal must be unveiled, however, and when it is, it represents the only obvious misstep, even in the moment. While this development stays true to the movie's theme of "the closer you look, the less you actually see," I'm not entirely sold on it based on how previous events play out. Still, in a movie that entertains for the entirety of its 2-hour running length, this one third-act dent matters little in the grand scheme of things.
Now You See Me will not be remembered overly fondly if the summer's big tentpole movies (like Man of Steel and Pacific Rim, among others) deliver what fanboys expect from them, but in many of ways, it's a fresher experience than another sequel or reboot, even a good one. In spite of the PG-13 rating, this is a summer movie that will play better with adults, with its emphasis on dialogue and plot, than teenagers. The culture of magic and magicians isn't anywhere near as popular as it used to be (outside of Vegas, that is), but at least we have a movie that understands the mentality of this profession; to stay fresh, one must always follow one impressive act with something grander and more audacious.
Rating: *** out of ****
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