By Josh Ball
Sleight of hand is the magician’s trade. Diverting the audience’s attention away from the real action is not easy to do. It allows the magician to say, “the closer you look, the less you’ll actually see.”
In 2013, the first installment of “Now You See Me” reminded the world why magic is so fascinating. In a cat-and-mouse chase with the FBI reminiscent of “Catch me if You Can,” the main characters, the Four Horsemen, use their tricks to perform massive heists. The film times the big reveal of the trick perfectly, keeping audiences wondering how they got away with pulling off another fantastic trick.
As the series progressed, the focus shifted. The second installment was more of a revenge movie. But the basic principles were the same: the Horsemen continued to control their fate through their misdirection and involved tricks.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” brings the Horsemen together with copycat performers mimicking their act. Where the film tries to bring magic to the next generation, it succeeds in just the opposite.
The latest movie in the series focuses more on political activism than magic. It is a shame to see such a magical movie franchise fall prey to the motivations contributing to Hollywood’s decline.
Nearly every scene alludes to a modern issue. There are lines of dialogue or even entire monologues dedicated to climate change. Whole scenes revolve around women in the magic industry. The overarching philosophy of the film is that the capitalist CEO is evil because she is concerned with making money. While these are important topics to discuss, box office results have shown time and again movies are not the place.
In these films, there is always a focus on taking from the rich and giving to the poor. The difference with the newest movie is that philanthropy was not the main point. Each time the Horsemen returned money to the masses, there was genuine evidence of misconduct. Veronika Venderberg (Rosamund Pike) of “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” is the first antagonist who is evil because she is rich.
Artistically, the film was lazy. In the first movie, each of the Horsemen had a specialty. These finely honed skills all contributed in specific ways at specific times to their ability to stay one step ahead.
In the latest movie, every magician was an expert at every specialized trade. Instead of being an artful way of demonstrating the cleverness of the magicians, the magic in “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” seems like a deus ex machina, coming in to save the heroes when they cannot escape by themselves.
There were some redeeming qualities to this movie. The acting was among them. Jesse Eisenberg continues to perfectly embody the arrogant and controlling J. Daniel Atlas. His performance as the group’s frontman continues to turn heads and lay the groundwork for their misdirection. Eisenberg’s performance is emblematic of the talent on display in this film.
Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney had outstanding chemistry with the younger magicians. The banter between the generations of magicians felt natural and evoked genuine laughter. When the younger performers tried to prove their merit to their more experienced counterparts, the comradery was almost tangible.
Throughout the film, action sequences allow the magicians to shine. As has always been a staple to the series, heists lead to direct encounters with police. In each of these, the magicians use the materials available to them, as well as their knowledge, to escape. Disappearing tricks help some get away, while others throw cards with enough force to draw blood. The spectacle of these scenes reflects the flare of a magic show.
Brian Tyler’s score continued to glow. The motifs were enigmatic, symbolizing the mind of an audience watching magic unfold. Long pulls on string basses and cellos help build tension intriguing the listener. The score and the magic complement each other.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” fails to leave audiences inspired to learn magic, a trait the the first two films possessed. The latest movie only motivated the audience to activism, rather than bringing magic to the next generation. The blending of wonderfully excellent aspects and spectacularly poor ones makes “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” stand out as a marvelously mediocre movie.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” is currently playing in theaters
Josh Ball is a junior history major. He loves “The Lord of the Rings” and reading literature to evaluate the author’s worldview in light of Christianity.
Images courtesy of Lionsgate
No Replies to "‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ brings all the worst new ideas to magic"