For those of you keeping score, NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T is the second sequel of this popular heist-thriller franchise. NOW YOU SEE ME was released in 2013 and NOW YOU SEE ME 2 in 2016. In the world of this second sequel, we have jumped forward ten years in the story of the world’s greatest magicians The Four Horseman.
The film begins with what appears to be a brilliant new Four Horseman performance. However, the show is not what it seems and it leads the head of The Horseman, Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), to track down three young magicians to their New York apartment. He has seen what they can do and recognises their talents could be useful in an upcoming job.
The trio of potential recruits, Charlie, Bosco, and June are interested but cautious. For starters, why not use the original other three Horsemen? It turns out that they are no longer together. The upcoming job comes from The Eye, the secret organisation of magicians who, since ancient times, have used top-flight magicians to spy, steal, and change the course of history whenever it seemed injustice would win out against ordinary people.
Atlas outlines a job that requires them to steal the largest diamond in the world, known as “The Heart.” It is in the possession of Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike) who is the head of her family business, a powerful diamond company which was once run by her Nazi father. The quest for “The Heart” launches a vast international chase taking them from Belgium to France to Abu Dhabi. And yes, all the other original Horseman eventually become involved. For the first section of the film, the new magicians more-or-less take centre-stage. We get to know Bosco (Dominic Sessa), June (Adriana Greenblat), and Charlie (Justice Smith). They have been busy learning the illusions of magic and have become adept at creating brilliant shows in low-rent venues and then disappearing with significant stacks of cash. They are, in fact, a tightly knit and loyal trio of friends who are closer than The Horseman. As the original Horseman arrive back on the scene, they need to get back into the rhythm of working together and learn to trust each other again.
Accessreel.com is always going that extra step and we watched all three films to see how the whole franchise hangs together. And this third instalment maintains the speed and cleverness of the previous movies. There are no magic powers in this world, there are expertly performed illusions aided on the movie side by computer graphics and editing. It all coheres into a seamless result that sweeps the audience along with the mission. There is plenty of plot here and indeed none of the movies ever lacks for story details, but it is not necessary to get too committed to any strand of the tale. All that is required is knowing The Horseman are the good guys, working for the ultimate world-rescuing plans of The Eye. Basically, this is a less lethal Kingsmen-style concept in which freelance experts are employed by an ancient secret organisation to do the good that governments cannot.
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco all fit back in their original roles with ease. The current movie is a little light on their character moments, relying on fan memory to carry through. More time is spent establishing the young trio, which points to the possibility of the franchise continuing with them taking on a more central role. Rosamund Pike’s plays a South African and the Internet has given her South African accent the thumbs up. She gives us an excellent baddie character who is a nasty piece of work.
The action sequences are fast and fun. Beyond the magic fist fights and the quick-cutting of the physical action, there is also a solid car chase sequence causing much mayhem. The cast has reported that Dave Franco is the most practiced of amongst them when it comes to card-tricks, although his character spends most of his time throwing the cards like they are shuriken. Franco is also responsible for calling the film NOW YOU THREE ME in interviews, which seems like a better title.
The comedy consists of light one-liners that mostly land and overall, it is a pleasure to see these characters back together, being smart alecks, doing magic and saving the world. Keep your eyes peeled for the various characters previously introduced through the franchise.
NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T delivers for fans of the first two movies. Director Ruben Fleischer has done a solid job giving the audience the sort of pace and bang for our buck that we expect. The familiar musical themes that hook us in and carry us along, are once again the work of Brian Tyler.
Running Time 112 minutes. Rating (6.5/10)
