Now You See Me (2013)

Now You See Me (2013)

6/10

Starrring

Jesse Eisenberg

Mark Ruffalo

Woody Harrelson

Mélanie Laurent

Isla Fisher

Dave Franco

Directed by Louis Leterrier

Now You See Me is one movie I sense Hollywood is probably going to wreck. The reason? When I saw the ending, I knew right away that a sequel was in the works.

Now You See Me will remain in the minds of many as a movie everyone should see—if only Hollywood would leave it as a standalone film.

What makes this movie so good is the idea that I’m being fooled twice. I’m following a group of magicians who are mysteriously brought together by a secretive group called The Eye. Just as I’m being tricked by their Robin Hood-style antics, another twist is waiting for me at the end.

The movie is a masterpiece. Its focus is squarely on the idea of making the rich pay for oppressing the poor, and it never strays from that focus. From the very beginning, the movie introduces the players—both good and bad (depending on your perspective)—and immediately throws us into a rat race between the FBI and the Four Horsemen.

The plot revolves around four magicians:

• Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas, an illusionist and the ringleader of the Four Horsemen.
• Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney, a mentalist.
• Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, an escapist.
• Dave Franco as Jack Wilder, a sleight-of-hand illusionist.

They each receive mysterious call cards inviting them to a meeting. When they show up, they meet as a group for the first time and are presented with a mysterious plan that sets them on a path to take money from the rich and give it to the poor.

In the mix is FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), who teams up with an Interpol agent to chase the crew all over the place, trying to catch them in the act. Then there’s Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), a know-it-all former magician who has devoted his life to exposing the secrets behind the great magic tricks that leave us all in awe.

Now You See Me boasts an ensemble cast that will keep you glued from start to finish. Michael Caine plays Arthur Tressler, the wealthy insurance company owner, with masterful precision. Morgan Freeman also makes his presence felt as the annoying, unfulfilled magician.

But the man who stole the show for me was Mark Ruffalo. I’ll be honest—I’ve seen Mark in many films, but this is the first time I truly appreciated him as an actor. His portrayal of the Hulk in The Avengers was mostly overshadowed by the fact that the CGI Hulk was more fun to watch than Bruce Banner.

Go see Now You See Me—and don’t delay.