Fun and energetic heist-thriller with a marvelous cast

Rating: 7/10 (11 October 2015)

From Louis Leterrier, director of The Transporter (2002), Transporter 2 (2005), and The Incredible Hulk, this crime heist-thriller follows four magicians: Daniel Atlas (played by Jesse Eisenberg), Merrit McKinney (played by Woody Harrelson) Henley Reeves (played by Isla Fisher), and Jack Wilder (played by Dave Franco), who host a reality show on-stage where they use their magic skills to rob banks around the world. Their amazing magical abilities soon draw to attention to FBI agents Dylan Rhodes and Alma Dray (played by Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent) who go investigation in search of an explanation behind their robberies, and an eccentric mastermind Thaddeus Bradley (played by Morgan Freeman) who desperately tries to expose their illusional power, leading a wild chase in search for secrets and hidden plots.
Now You See Me boast some creative ideas and executes them in an "okay" way. I can't say I was too impressed with them. With the plot involving magicians who use teleportation techniques to rob banks for living, you would expect few plot twist and turns somewhere along the way. Sadly this film doesn't have much of these. But that's okay, the thoughtful storytelling, decently constructed characters, and strong pacing make up for some of it. The biggest disappointment however, is that the film lacks suspense and thrills that make it more exciting. The whole premise of how the characters use their magic to manipulate the minds of people is clever, but it's never gets interesting. The cast is very great on the other hand. Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco demonstrate some great performances as the main characters. Morgan Freeman did an alright job as the main antagonist, although he felt a bit miscast.
Overall, Now You See Me isn't too bad of a movie. Maybe if the plot was better developed or at least was a given a better direction, this will would feel more captivating. Also, suspense and thrills are what is this film is missing and really needs.