Between financial and magical thriller, promising but losing bounce in progress

Rating: 7/10 (14 July 2013)

The movie starts with big premises: the abilities of the four illusionists are enchanting, and the idea of them being summoned and moved by a mysterious eye sounds really enthralling. The first part is developed through dynamic and vigorous sequences. The link to America's tragedy of Katrina, with an attack to insurance companies could also be interesting. Moreover, the rational explanation of the tricks results quite involving and intriguing, and the viewer feels torn between the need to understand how the tricks were made and a more subtle desire to believe in magic.
And, to tell the truth, the picture never loses the viewer's attention, it's fast- paced, never a dull moment, but then, in the second part, something changes and the movie turns more into an action movie with chase sequences, punches, violence and moves away form those promising premises, hurrying towards a hasty finale with an interesting twist but lacking the solidity of the first part. The cast helps make a difference, although I found the big Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine a little under tone, I appreciated the boastful performance of Woody Harrelson and in general the freshness and vitality of the younger cast. On the whole, the picture is worth the ticket, two hours of real entertainment are granted, but I cannot deny some disappointment in the end.