Magic, simply

Rating: 9/10 (10 November 2018)

I just recently rewatched this movie (for the third time or so) after reading a whole lot of critique about plotholes, bad writing etc. and despite my brain constantly reminding me of those while watching and forcing me to notice all the inconsistencies and unrealistic things in the movie, I still couldn't stop myself from enjoying it. By the time the twist ending came around, I was as petrified as I was the first time. Of course I knew what was going to happen, but over the course of the movie I got so invested into the story, I almost forgot that the Fifth Horseman actually WAS the Fifth Horseman and not just this incredibly stupid FBI agent. So a lot of kudos to that. (Well, mostly to Mark Ruffalo. I mean, the guy CAN ACT.) I'm not one to analyse the ending and why it might be good or not, I only know that it gives me immense satisfaction. And that's gotta count for something.
I already gave this a rating a while ago, but I came back to write a review, because I can't stress enough how good this movie is. Yes, it has some plot holes and things that don't add up, but the story itself really holds water in the end. It gets surprisingly better after seeing the sequel, which, despite throwing in another twist no one saw coming and which might be regarded as lame, actually fixes many of the first film's plot holes. And the story itself, well, it's still genuinelly complex,(that's probably why all those plot holes show up - the writers complicated it too much and holes appeared on the way, cause they simply couldn't hold ALL the strings in their hands at the same time) with a lot of aspects that come together in the end.
As for how the twist is something you would never expect: yeah, it is. There's no clues indicating it, but you were never supposed to suspect it. This movie might seem like a crime story at first, but it's really not about solving a crime, at its core it's about magic. So unlike most stories with a surprising ending, it's not built as a puzzle to be solved, but rather as a magic trick. And you can't really figure out those by yourself in real life either - You really only understand what happened (and why) after you're given an explanation, but when it's all explained, it starts to make sense. It's the same here, with all the elements and questions - why were the Horsemen recruited, why they target those specific institutions and people, why everyone won't shut up about Lionel shrike, the card in the tree and the other elements that seemingly serve no reason to the story - suddenly start to make sense once it's all explained. And once you watch it the second time, you view it completely differently and can marvel at the deception.
Oh, and the writing's pretty great in some places, there's genuinely funny lines and moments, despite the ocassional corniness of some dialogues. But even those corny lines are often just coming from Dylan, who speaks that way on purpose. I like that the film doesn't take itself too seriously either, frequently making fun of its characters and just generally serving you so much unrealistic bull***t in those tricks that you can't possibly take it seriously. Which makes it a lot of fun.
Oh, and about magic: it's not even that unrealistic. They had a lot of magicians consulting them (hell, they got DAVID COPPERFIELD), and although it was all very exaggerated in the movie, the basic ideas of deception, where and how close you're supposed to look are actually pretty legit. They also apply to the 'magic trick' of the movie's story: the one character you spend most of the movie focusing on, seemingly seeing him from up close, is the one you missinterpret the most - the closer you look, the less you see. 'The trick is to look far into the past, not close' - yeah, as far as 30 years back to find reasons for what's happening now. And so on.
Overall, I just really enjoyed this way too much to criticise it. Yeah, it's ridiculous and the most unrealistic thing ever, but that's how you're supposed to take it and how it sees itself too. So if you can let go of overthinking it, it's a fun ride. I'd honestly fangirl a bit if I could, but I'm trying to keep this professional so let's just say: it's super cool. And the ending kills me every. Single time. Honestly, the sequel is possibly the only thing better than the first one.