Now You See Me 2

The original 'Now You See Me' film was an incredibly enjoyable affair. It was possibly one of the finest examples of how, if you were willing to suspend your disbelief to epic levels, you really could have a great time watching it. It was Hollywood glitz and popcorn-munching fun all the way through. The - A-list - cast was perfect and played off each other brilliantly, depicting a quartet of modern day Robin Hood-style magicians who stole from the rich and corrupted through the use of their dazzling illusions and, in turn, gave back to the poor. I suppose its success basically guaranteed a sequel would be greenlit. And, where I do give the film credit for doing its best to follow-on closely from the events in the first outing, this time round it's just too unbelievable to be convincing - no matter how hard you try to suspend your disbelief.

I really wanted to like this film - and I guess I did. There were plenty of neat moments here and there, it's just I wanted to like it a LOT. And I didn't. The story picks up a little while after the events of the first one and the most noticeable difference for me was the fact that Isla Fisher hasn't returned this time round. She's therefore instantly replaced by another female magician who slots into the team a little too well. Then we get to the meat of the story where the twists and turns start to overtake general common sense and credibility.

The rest of the cast return, but the main newcomer is Daniel Radcliffe who entraps the magicians in an attempt to use their collective skills to steal something for him. And, as I mentioned, the 'magic' set-pieces are indeed well-filmed and cool to watch. However, the story just doesn't add up. One of the main complaints from the first one was the 'twist' which left some viewers feeling a little short-changed. Here, the film tries to 'out-twist' the original by taking the story in all sorts of directions which leave you truly confused as to who is on who's side and who is trying to double-cross who.

I know that part of the fun with watching magicians perform is trying to guess how the trick is done. With the first film you could just about believe that the feats they carry out could just about be actually real if all the circumstances were just right. In the sequel, everything feels a little cheap as you naturally try to predict how they accomplish these feats, only to find out that the ways they do them are tantamount impossible.

Overall, it's an enjoyable enough film, but it does try to be a little too clever for its own good and therefore ends up being too unbelievable to be credible.

Among the other movies in the theaters this week, this is a good choice to spend your two hours..

I think the age warning of above 13 for this movie is actually right. My advice is that if you're above 40, it may not entertain you because this film doesn't include much logic among some events that follow one another.

Another thing is that this is also a movie about a struggle of saving the world from the bad guys. There many movies like that but this movie saves itself from being boring with the humor & sarcasm of the characters. Magics which we cannot come across in real life help a lot to take the movie to a higher position in the audience's point of view.

Best parts of the film:

1. The voyage of the horsemen after they jump through the tunnel.

2. When four of the horsemen are together in a room where they are being searched for a possible theft.

3. The magical performances of the horsemen in a city center at a special day of the year.

4. The audience may not guess how the film will end, will the horsemen succeed or not?

5. There may be a 3rd film of this series.

I really enjoyed the first NOW YOU SEE ME film. I thought that film's premise "magicians robbing a bank" was original and the execution of the unique script by Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin by director Louis Leterrier was strong. Add to that the casting - Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco as "The Four Horseman", Melanie Laurent, Common and (especially) Mark Ruffalo as the cops who were chasing them and sprinkle in good ol' Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman into a plot that kept you guessing to the end and you had a fun ride.

My only question was, could the sequel capture the...wait for it...MAGIC (yes I went there) of the original?

And my answer is...sort of.

Kind of like seeing a magic show for the 2nd time, the spark of originality and wonderment was mostly missing this time around, consequently NOW YOU SEE ME 2 turned into a fairly standard crime/action caper - but with magic instead of guns, cars or fights.

All that said, I was still entertained by this film, but that enjoyment was filled with an undercurrent of disappointment as I wanted to by "wowed" like I was with the first film.

The script - written by Ed Solomon, one of the writers of the original, struck me as a "job script", that is, a script written for money from the studio vs. a "passion script" where the author has an idea they are passionate about and that passion is shown on the screen. Add to that the fact that Jon M.Chu - director of GI JOE: RETALIATION (not exactly CITIZEN KANE) - helmed this film and you have a movie that feels professional, competent and workman-like.

What saves this movie is the performances. Three of the horsemen are back (Isla Fisher had to bow out due to a pregnancy) and the bi- play and the interaction between Eisenberg, Harrelson and Franco fits like an old glove. They get to interact with Ruffalo more in this film and that's a plus. Freeman and Caine return and are as dependable as ever and newcomers Daniel Radcliffe, Tsai Chin and (especially) Jay Chou were fun. Only Lizzy Caplan's Lula didn't really work for me - I thought she was trying to hard to fill in for Fisher.

Interestingly enough, I could shake the feeling, as I was watching this film, that I was watching the 2nd chapter in a trilogy, even though this one did NOT end in a cliffhanger. Sure enough, upon further review, NOW YOU SEE ME 3 is currently filming.

All in all, I enjoyed this film, I just wish I could have been surprised more, like I was in the first film.

7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)

As a film this really is poor. On practically every level it falls down… Now You See Me 2 picks up directly where the first film left off and the film follows a similar pattern – The 4 (or 5?) horsemen, performing larger-than-life magic with the aim of providing for those less fortunate or exposing those who do wrong. However, unlike the first, their motivations behind each of these stunts are a little less clear and certainly less meaningful. In fact inconsistent or unlikely character motivations and actions are a problem throughout the film (with supporting characters as well as the leads).Then there's the fact that this plot is so unrealistic and beyond the realms of possibility that it makes the first script look practically normal. The script in itself is a problem… it's messy, incongruent and forced – "well we need to have a shootout/car chase, otherwise it won't be cool enough".

Then there's the fact that Isla Fisher's character has left the gang and although briefly explained at the beginning of the film, is never mentioned again. Yet her replacement (played by Lizzy Caplan) is not only treated as if she's been there since the beginning, but also held responsible for all the actions she wasn't around for in the first film. I get the feeling it might have been easier for her just to play Isla Fisher's character (Katie Holmes-Maggie Gyllenhaal in Batman style) rather than trying to shoehorn in a different character. And talking of characters – Daniel Radcliffe's character is atrocious. I don't want to give anything away but he is such a stereotypical, spoilt, British man it's untrue. Moreover his acting in this was reminiscent of all his appalling, wooden performances from the early Harry Potter films… And just I was starting to believe that maybe he could act!

And then there are issues around plot holes, speech which is purely for the viewers' benefit, seemingly irrelevant sub-plots and a ridiculously backwards ending which doesn't appear to make much sense.

So how the hell, given all these problems, does it give it get a 6 I hear you cry? Well, as with the first, it is still thoroughly entertaining. It's light-hearted fun, which isn't really tackling any of the world's serious topics and as a spectacle is still great. Sure I found myself thinking of several occasions 'my god this is garbage', but it didn't annoy me. It's the kind of film where you can laugh off the issues and appreciate the fun parts.

In summary, if you liked the first one, I certainly wouldn't discourage you from seeing NYSM2. I'd just go in with limited expectations and an acceptance that many aspects of it aren't going to be very good. If you have those two things you'll probably enjoy it thoroughly, despite all its flaws.

The 1980s-inspired sequel reimagines the original blockbuster by emphasizing the individuals and their distinctive features. Both new converts and admirers of the original should find the revisit enjoyable.

The grand illusion thriller "Now You See Me" borrowed ideas from Soderbergh's "Ocean's" series and Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige". With a convoluted plot and a chatty, fiercely competitive group of renegade magician heroes, the film was both witty and bordering on ridiculous.

The movie features a number of jaw-dropping moments, fake-outs, and teases. The film's denouement is always focused on the audience, with the Horsemen-a troupe of illusionists-stranded on a private jet. The movie is an exhilarating and suspenseful roller coaster since it never stops winking.