Review of “Now You See Me”

Now You See Me is the first original summer movie of 2013, and it kicks off the season with a bang. From start to finish of the two hour thriller the smoke and mirrors never let up, leaving you guessing until the very end. While the plot itself is thin and the script doesn’t contain a single memorable line, the sheerly quizzical nature of Now You See Me warrants a watch for anyone even passingly curious about it.

The plot can be summarized as four magicians’ quest to share wealth Robin Hood style with adoring fans, taking from corrupt rich men via the powers of magic. The FBI aren’t fans of this illegal magic, however, and want to shut down the illusionistic quartet and their rampant stealing. There are enough plot twists to make a twizzler out of and the entire story reeks of convolution, but it’s well done despite those factors.

The cast for this thinly plotted magical romp is filled to the brim with heavy hitters: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson and a bevy of other top notch actors all bring their A-game to the screen and are perfectly cast for the roles of unlawful magicians and their government funded opposition.

There’s not much to be said about the CGI, as it’s used to a relatively small degree. Nothing ever looks outright fake (*ahem, Iron Man 3*), so I can’t really knock Now You See Me’s effects department.

There’s really not a lot to say about Now You See Me. If you want to see a great ensemble of actors in a fun, mind-tickling original story filled with lots of suspense and heist action, this is the summer movie for you. It’s not The Italian Job, but it’s a great movie in its own right and deserves any curious moviegoer’s attention.