I Watch Films: Now You See Me

Four stage, or in fact mostly street, magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco) are recruited to make a super team called the Four Horsemen. At the climax of their first show in Las Vegas they rob a bank in Paris. A grumpy FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) gets the case, teamed up with a French Interpol Agent (Mélanie Laurent). Michael Caine is the wealthy backer of the shows, Morgan Freeman is the professional magic debunker.

So a good cast, a lot of good magic tricks (always easier when pre-recorded), a fairly clever way of teaching you to look for the moment in a scene when something is not what it seems. Also a couple of good heists.

I enjoyed this a lot. It’s not the best or cleverest heist film, and maybe making it about magicians talking about distraction and how things aren’t what they seem and being all about preparation was trying to be a little too clever? On the other hand not everyone is a semi-professional crime writer who has watched dozens of heist films and TV episodes and it seems audiences liked it enough for them to make a sequel so I’m maybe fussing a bit much there.

Watch This: For a very fun crime-magic film.
Don’t Watch This: if you don’t like magic or tricks or heists.