Lots of entertaining glitz but mostly empty

Rating: 5/10 (6 August 2013)

... that is perfect for a summer popcorn movie where you just want to sit and enjoy the on screen action and the theatre AC. Now You See Me is really well done, it's swiftly directed and there are no odd parts, and I knew what kind of movie I was going to watch so I am not disappointed.
On the other hand the movie did not surprise me, and the plot is mostly a gimmick you don't care about by the time the trick is revealed. The casting was great: gathering Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harelson... is a key factor of success here. These three are the most powerful and impressive performers of the lot, and Melanie Laurent comes just behind with a different kind of character that does help keep the story on track in between extravaganza scenes. Mark Ruffalo does the job but is not entirely convincing, yet I reckon the part was written in such a way that he must alternatively appear a funny fool and an a-hole, to end up looking a nice handsome dedicated copper... By far, not the easiest job on the lot.
I was surprised Jesse Eisenberg received top billing. He must really be hot property after the Social Network, but frankly Woody Harelson is by far the best of the 4 horsemen. Eisenberg looks as if he is not able to play something else than the Mark Zuckerberg type. Isla Fisher has little to play with and is thus underused, as always alas. And there's also a fourth horseman who picks locks but is quite pellucid.
All in all the movie runs very smoothly for its 115min runtime but it is mostly "in your face" entertainment and will leave no mark as a clever or intriguing movie.