Dumb but fun

Rating: 7/10 (29 May 2016)

Big, shiny and dumb. It's also moderately entertaining. Four great magicians are chosen by a mysterious benefactor to become the Four Horsemen. Their goal: to astonish with spectacular tricks and, Robin Hood-like, rip off the criminally rich. Their first big trick involves robbing a Parisian bank from a Las Vegas stage. This puts detectives Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent on their tails, along with famous magic debunker Morgan Freeman. Very little in this film makes much sense, and I think it makes zero sense after the huge twist it ends with. It moves along so fast it's hard to care too much. Director Leterrier is a very good action director, but this isn't really an action movie. The movie's best sequence, though, is an action sequence and involves Dave Franco, one of the Horsemen, using his magic to dodge and trick the cops who are after him. The Horsemen (besides Franco there are Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Isla Fisher) get very little characterization and they probably have less screen time than Ruffalo, Laurent or Freeman. Michael Caine also co-stars. There's a lot of talent here and it's all wasted. Still, not a bad time waster. I saw it because I thought the trailer for the sequel looked even better. I'm not convinced by the first installment, but if reviews are good enough I may partake. I'll probably do so on video at any rate.