Friday, June 7, 2013

Now You See Me: Movie Review


Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Earlier this year I watched several episodes of the show "Breaking the Magicians Code."  Magic tricks are performed: amazing, crazy, and stupefying.  Then a masked magician shows how the tricks are done.  Suddenly a feeling of stupidity overwhelms.  There's no such thing as magic . . . magic tricks are just elaborate hoaxes that create wonder.  It's not real.


That's what 's character, Thaddeus Bradley, is trying to prove in Now You See Me, a suspense movie about keeping the secrets of magic a secret, and those who don't.  There's a new magic act called the 4 horsemen, and their show's involve visual splendor and hypnosis mingled with bank/money robbing.  It's the attention they get while robbing banks in mystifying ways that pulls in the FBI.  Agent Dylan Rhodes, , is trying to stay two steps ahead.

What follows is cat chasing mice . . .

The 4 horsemen comprise a mentalist, escape artist, master locksmith/robber/magician, and sleight-of-hand expert.  When we see their show we're treated with quick tricks and hypnotism.  Nothing awe inspiring, really, which is what I wanted to see.  A movie about magic should be filled with more magic, or at least amazing tricks that dazzle but seem plausible.

There was an exciting car chase, and a crazy escape scene when one of the horsemen try to evade the FBI, but the climax, the big reveal, was a let down and somewhat predictable.  And suddenly this whole "magic" thing feels silly and ridiculous.

I was entertained through out . . . until the lame ending.  My brothers were underwhelmed.  Robbie gave the film a 2.75, and Steven declared it shouldn't get above a 3.  

MPAA: PG-13 for language, some action and sexual content.


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