'What is magic? Focused deception. But deception meant to entertain.'

Rating: 8/10 (5 September 2013)

This movie is magic. It is simply fantastic entertainment that keeps the viewer glue to the screen trying to figure out the impossible things that are happening to a superlative groups of actors playing well written roles (written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt) and directed with aplomb by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk, Transporter 2, Unleashed, and the soon to be made Now You See Me 2!) whose imagery and imagination is endless.
The story is simple but inordinately complex in the way it is shared. Four magicians each answer a mysterious summons to an obscure address with secrets inside. A year later, they are the Four Horseman (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco), big time stage illusionists who climax their sold out Las Vegas show with a bank apparently robbed for real. This puts agents Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) of the FBI and Alma Vargas (Mélanie Laurent) of Interpol on the case to find out how they did it. However, this mystery proves difficult to solve even with the insights of the professional illusion exposer, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). What follows is a bizarre investigation where nothing is what it seems with illusions, dark secrets and hidden agendas galore as all involved are reminded of a great truth in this puzzle: the closer you look, the less you see. Add to this rather amazing cast the talents of Michael Caine, Michael Kelly, Common, David Warshofsky, José Garcia, and Elias Koteas and the talents of Brian Tyler, musical score and the cinematography by Mitchell Amundsen and Larry Fong and this film becomes addictive. How to spend a summer evening!
Grady Harp