Now You See Me 2
Director: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson
Duration: 209 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd.

Three years ago, the movie Now You See Me became a sleeper hit with both audiences and critics with its fascinating and entertaining story chronicling the exploits of an ensemble of superbly skilled magicians and illusionists known as the Four Horsemen.

A year after the events chronicled in the first film, the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg’s master illusionist Daniel Atlas, Woody Harrelson’s hypnotist Merritt McKinney, Dave Franco’s pickpocket and card shark Jack Wilder and Lizzy Caplan’s magician Lula taking the place of Isla Fisher) have been laying low.

Now, however, they plan a comeback with the view of exposing the criminal activities of tech entrepreneur Owen Case with FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) aiding them behind the scenes. Things do not go as planned and the foursome find themselves once more on the run.

The only way they can clear their names is by agreeing to recover a powerful computer chip for ruthless and wealthy recluse Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe). With their former nemesis Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and professional sceptic Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) also on their case, the Four Horsemen need to rely on all their skills to magic their way out of this predicament.

It was, I suppose, inevitable that the success enjoyed by Part 1 would herald a sequel. But, in the rush to bring it to the screen, all the good qualities that made the first one so eminently watchable – a strong ensemble, engaging story, some truly breath-taking magic – have disappeared. The script by Ed Solomon and Peter Chiarelli pads what passes for a story with elaborate trickery, while simultaneously stifling its formerly interesting characters

There is little to be done with a script whose characterisation is as thin as the cards the protagonists get to play with

What results is less of a cunning story of sleight of hand told with smoke and mirrors than a bog standard action thriller boasting elaborate scenes in which the protagonists outdo themselves by manipulating the weather and using private jets as props. An over-reliance on CG does little to disguise the paucity of storyline – a notable reversal from the original, where the superb visuals served the story well while giving the characters chance to breathe.

And so what we get is a series of action scenes, one after another, with no time for a decent narrative to unfold.

The one swindle of any interest takes place as the foursome manage to finagle their way into the maximum security complex where the chip is stored. It is one sequence that slickly depicts what is essentially an elaborate card trick. Yet, it goes on for a few minutes too many, ultimately robbing it of its tension.

In the meantime, neither the mysterious machinations of secret magician’s society The Eye, nor the additional details of Rhodes’ back story and his beef with Thaddeus add any emotion or drama to proceedings.

The script also has little to offer in terms of character development and even the actors’ natural charisma is stifled by the elaborate, complicated and largely uninteresting plot.

The chemistry that sizzled so strongly between them has also made a disappearing act. Ruffalo, always a strong, charismatic presence, is muted as once more his Agent Rhodes is chasing after the foursome. Eisenberg gets to grimace a lot as he tries to lead his men (and woman) out of their predicament.

Harrelson gets to play dual roles with the presence of his over-coiffed, over-tanned and shiningly white-toothed – and highly annoying – twin brother Chase. Franco’s Jack Wilder barely registers, while Lizzy Caplan, an actor who typically brings vim and vigour to her roles, is surprisingly a tad wooden and unconvincing. Before long, it’s clear that her main purpose is to serve as love interest to one of the others.

Even the ever-reliable Caine and Freeman do little more than coast through their roles, while Radcliffe is saddled with what is little more than a cartoon villain. It is hardly the ensemble’s fault. There is little to be done with a script whose characterisation is as thin as the cards the protagonists get to play with, leaving them with little up their sleeve they can use to dazzle their audiences.