Now You See Me: Now You Don't

How did a big budget, solid actor, much anticipated film yield such poor writing, directing and editing? Magic, apparently.

The trick here is to fool audiences into paying for this nonsense. Want to spend 2 hours of your life watching someone else ooh and aah in in a magic show or play in an escape room filmed on screen?. Only thing worse than the script may be Rosamund Pike's accent. Oy.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't is a fun, flashy, but ultimately forgettable. The first film was a tight, clever heist thriller, as was the second, almost; but this sequel feels overstuffed and rushed.

The new magicians lack depth... their skills and personalities aren't well-established, so it's hard to care. The original Horsemen (all five now) are still charismatic, but their roles feel sidelined in favor of underdeveloped newcomers.

The final heist is visually impressive but lacks the satisfying payoff of the first two films. The twists feel forced, and the revenge-driven plot drags down the fun.

That said, it's not a bad movie - just a missed opportunity. If you loved the first two, you'll find enough spectacle to enjoy, but don't expect the same magic.

6/10: A decent weekend watch, but nothing more.

This has been years in the making and it's finally come out! Was it worth it? I suppose it was fun with the gang back together but it's more of the same you've seen before but less complex which is both a good and bad thing as the tricks are more realistic but it loses that intrigue and mysticism. Aside from that it springs a new generation of magicians along with the classic gang and watching them work side by side up until the big reveal is engaging. They clearly have fun with getting them all back together and the interactions after years make this worth a watch for sure. It leaves room for more at the end but they could stop right there if they wanted to.

The cast is the best thing with them all reunited. I love Jesse Eisenberg so I enjoy seeing him again. Newcomers like Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt are all great charismatic new characters too. Rosamund Pike as the villain is cool just cause it's her anyway.

They have the song abracadabra in this by Lady Gaga so that's another cool thing!

Great to see them back on screen again regardless of it being more of the same stuff with less complexity.

This was a very disappointing sequel that manages to completely miss anything good from the previous entries. The new characters don't come across as clever or appealing in any way and instead come across as annoying and ridiculous. The previous entries were entertaining and often thought provoking. This latest entry feels more like a chore to sit through and if they can't make a better sequel than this, it's probably time to stop making new entries in this "Now You See Me" franchise.

This film delivers plenty of fun, energetic moments and strong chemistry among the cast, and my 11-year-old-along with many kids age 8-18 in the theater-absolutely loved the absurd, fast-moving magic and humor. Kids don't worry about whether the tricks make sense, and for them it's a blast.

But the writers, director and producers GROSSLY overproduce this flashy sequel to the max. Isla fisher wears a fancy dress in the woods or in action sequences that make your eyes roll. ANY REALISM from filmmakers would help.

For adult, the movie often feels closer to reality-show spectacle-think Masked Singer meets America's Got Talent-than a grounded cinematic story. Your magicians fight WWII Evil. The sets and character design are impressive, but the nonstop implausible stunts and plot holes make it hard to stay invested in the world they're trying to build.

Still, if you overlook the "jump-the-shark" magic moments and just enjoy the popcorn-movie chaos, it's entertaining enough. My daughter gave it an A. I landed on a B mostly thanks to Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg, who bring enough charm and humor to offset the rapid-fire absurdity. (We completed premier with Cinemascore voting.)

Like many sequels since the '80s, it tries to do too much-too many new characters, too much flash, too much caffeine-and in the process loses warmth, character focus, and believability. But it is entertainment, and we're glad we saw it in a theater, where the spectacle feels bigger and more fun than it would on a streaming screen.