‘Now You See Me 2’ holds up in the realms of spectacle and excitement.
An eye for an eye makes the world go blind. In the case of Now You See Me 2, it makes the world oblivious to its interesting case of sequel syndrome.
NYSM2 picks up close to one year after the original hijinks, where we find the Four Horsemen (minus Henley) awaiting their next pop-up quest into righting the world’s wrongs. However, when they are assigned both a new mission and a new illusionist by the name of Lula May (Lizzy Caplan), their deepest secrets become publicly revealed by the likes of “magic debunker” Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman).
Such events put ringleader/FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, as well as the remaining members of the Horsemen in the hands of Macaw’s youngest tech-mogul, Walter Marby (Daniel Radcliffe). In the end, the team must work together to keep their reputation afloat and safe, especially when the film’s climatic use of revenge-sicken enemies come into play.
With Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco and Woody Harrelson all reprising their esteemed roles as the ever-present Horsemen, this second outing isn’t necessarily a bad way to spend 2 hours and nine minutes of your life. It just carries such a strong sleight of hand that it disguises clichés and predictability with flashy magic tricks and even flashier magicians. In other words, this unique thriller is terribly good at being a bad movie, almost to the point where you fail to even notice it in the long run.
“Now You See Me 2 was definitely more entertaining than the first one,” said Shannon Zang, Garfield film buff and long-time magic enthusiast. “This sequel keeps you on your feet, between the intense action scenes and the unpredictable magic tricks that come with it.”
This second act, overall, is a magic trick in itself. It leads you to believe that something so inevitable feels so fresh and lively, with consistent movement and even more consistent plot twists. Even the effects that make up such sorcery and dexterity are eye-catching enough to distract you. However, if this caper has taught us anything, it’s that giving up an eye gives back another eye. And with this new eye, you see the spectacle that is this blockbuster strategy.
It might be the oldest trick in the book. Nevertheless, it’s the trick that can really make you fall in love with the Horsemen all over again. Now You See Me 2 is playing in movie theaters everywhere. Some local venues include AMC Clifton Commons 16, AMC Loews Wayne 14 and even Bow Tie Bellevue Cinemas in the heart of downtown Montclair! For a list of even more theaters and show-times, visit fandango.com today!
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