"Now You See Me" Review

Rating: 5/10 (4 June 2013)

"Now You See Me" is a enjoyable popcorn flick. However, it tends to be more flash than actual substance.The concept of the film is intriguing, but it isn't done in an all too interesting way. It's just a fast paced film that throws a lot of stuff at you, but never truly lets you absorb what is happening. The magic show scenes are one of the highlights of the movie as it's full of energy and the right amount of flash. My personal favorite moment is a fight/chase scene in the third act of the movie with Dave Franco. It's shot well and has some really nice fight choreography.
My biggest gripe with the film is the cinematography and editing. The camera is always moving, either rotating around actors as they talk or around the scenery. It's hard to focus and at times I became nauseated. Editing in the film is incredibly quick, which takes away from taking in some of these elaborate shots. On a positive note, it does get more tamed as the movie progresses mainly in the third act.
The cast is fine, but only two characters really stand out. Not that everyone else is giving a bad performance, but the characters they play lack substance or any really good one liners. The best characters are Woody Harrelson's and Mark Ruffalo's. Harrelson's character has the best lines and the best moments. He's funny, charismatic, and at the same time wise. Ruffalo's character is the most developed and intriguing. He's an FBI agent, who seems to have luck always against him and we can't help, but cheer for him. The rest of the cast is either throw away, like Isla Fisher and Dave Franco, or interesting, but underdeveloped, like Jesse Eisenberg and Morgan Freeman.
Overall, "Now You See Me" is an enjoyable film that chooses flash over substance. Characters are mainly paper thin as they're underdeveloped or pushed to the side aside from Ruffalo and Harrelson. The film has a nice soundtrack that gives it the right amount of energy. However, the dizzying camera work and rapid editing make it really hard to be absorbed into the story. I give it 2.5/5, an enjoyable film that doesn't always engage with it's high concept and original story.