Review: Now You See Me

Illusionist J. Daniel Atlas (Jessie Eisenburg), Mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woodie Harrelson), Escape Artist Hensley Reeves (Isla Fisher), and street performer/con artist Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) are summoned to a tiny apartment by mysterious tarot cards after performances that show off their individual strengths. A year later, they have formed into the slick and extravagant supergroup 4 Horsemen, whose combined talents for misdirection, and the backing of wealthy insurance magnate Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), lead to a stunning Las Vegas stage show that culminates in a bank robbery... of A Paris bank.

This catches the attention of FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), who is forced to team with Interpol agent Alma Drey (Melanie Laurent) and seek advice from Professional Illusion Exposer Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). With the FBI tracking their every move, the 4 Horsemen look to pull off a trifecta of Robin Hood-like robberies and disperse the money to their audiences.

Louis Leterrier (Transporter) directs this film in his typical gorgeous, fast moving style, and the plot, while fairly straightforward, packs a few didn't-see-that-coming twists that propels it into the rare air of successful slight of hand heist flicks like Ocean's 11 and The Prestige. The performances by the entire cast are wonderful, especially Eisenburg, Harrelson, and Ruffalo. The level of polish in the set design and cinematography are top notch, and the soundtrack complements the frantic pacing of the story quite nicely. There are a few plot holes, although you won't notice them until you've sat over a coffee and mulled things over a bit. They in no way break the illusion of the film, though, and so don't really merit counting against it.

This is a superbly made, character driven film with enough misdirection and glamour to live up to the viewer's expectations. I give it 4.5 Humble Buttons. It's worth a look, especially considering the other major release is the Sci-Fi trainwreck After Earth. So go see it, and look closely.