Film Review: Now You See Me

Rating:

Directed by Louis Leterrier, Now You See Me follows an FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) and an Interpol detective (Mélanie Laurent) in a game of cat and mouse, as they track a team of illusionists known as The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco) who pull off bank heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances and reward their audiences with the money, while always staying one step ahead of the law.

Reading reviews before going to see this film for myself, it appeared that not many people enjoyed this. I happen to disagree, however. I love films about magic, and being combined with a thriller I found the heist story original and interesting.

The film’s strongest feature, though, is its impressive cast, which also includes Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, who come together brilliantly. None of these actors give their best performances, but at the same time they all suited their characters incredibly well, and their presence together is what helped to give the film its theatrical and entertaining quality, setting the tone up brilliantly.

However, when the film came to an end I was left quite disappointing. The conclusion that we had spent so long anticipating was awful, as I would have been happier for it to go any other way. The additional romance was also completely unnecessary, but until these final 15 minutes I was thoroughly enjoying the magical experience, so it can almost be forgiven. I still want to give it 4 stars for its entertainment factor, despite its few but major flaws.