It’s been quite famously said that we come to this place (the cinema) for magic. Well, Nicole Kidman has never been more right with the release of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, a movie that, both literally and figuratively, relies on the near indescribable feeling of cool that magic can provide.
This threequel in a franchise that first appeared twelve years ago reunites the Four Horsemen, the group of magicians famously known across the world for their hijinks and heists, with a trio of next-gen virtuosos as they embark on an enchanted expedition to steal the largest diamond in the world, known as The Heart Diamond. In doing so, the fresh crew of illusionists—helmed by newcomers to the franchise Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa, and Justice Smith—help the old guard of witty magicians take down Veronika van der Berg (Rosamund Pike) and her South African diamond enterprise.
The film opens with a sequence that immediately makes you question how the Four Horsemen are even able to pull off such a stunt— they seemingly absorb into the body of an “innocent” crowd member, allowing him (who is revealed to be magician Bosco Leroy, played by Sessa) to embody all four personalities at once. It ultimately is revealed as a rouse that results in stealing the wealth of a crypto-bro (a hilarious cameo from comedian Andrew Santino) and giving it away to all attending members of the show. The truth is revealed that the Four Horsemen were never actually there, and the trio of new-age magicians are just pretty damn good at using projectors and technology to look like real magic.
Jesse Eisenberg’s J. Daniel Atlas, as snarky and snoody as ever in a demanding performance from Eisenberg, appears after the show to congratulate, and more importantly, question, how the young guns were able to pull off such a stunt. Monologues, misdirection, and moody characters all culminate here to set the tone for what to expect from the rest of the movie, and at no point does the film stray from the chemistry between the supernormal cast.
As is the case with these movies and magic at large, not everything is what it seems. The rug is pulled out from our protagonists and ourselves, the viewers, many times over during the runtime, making for a movie full of nonstop entertainment from beginning to end.
Think Mission: Impossible meets Ocean’s Eleven, but make everything magic. More magic than you think. And therein lies why this franchise delivers a delightful new entry—because it takes itself seriously enough to know that when magic is done right, and with enough charm, wit, and star power, it can transport us, for however brief, to a world in which the impossible can happen. Even if it’s slightly cheesy (at one point, Eisenberg spars with Sessa’s Bosco Leroy, asking if he had ChatGPT write his magician name), it is authentic enough to declare itself a capital “I” important Hollywood franchise.
Through its several global locations, magician mansions with puzzles galore, and big final showstopping performances, the plot, while not inherently complex, does keep the movie moving fast and feeling fresh, infusing it with a social activism that does seem quite timely for now, using Pike as a stand-in for any millionaire (or billionaire) magnate you want to project into the movie.
The heart of the Now You See Me franchise lies in its constant charm and ridiculous razzing, where Eisenberg’s lead character persistently jibes at Woody Harrelson’s Merrit McKinney, who is the team’s mentalist, and other inter-team rivalries are always mere seconds from exploding into a puff of smoke. This installment raises the bar on said banter, using it as a North Star to keep the script light and entertainment value high.
Fans of the franchise will no doubt notice the lack of Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes, a character who was fundamental to the greater storyline of the previous two entries. Still, they will be happy to know that Pike acts as a serviceable switch-up, taking over the responsibility of being a foil to the main magicians.
The movie is able to needle-drop Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” (a scene in which I literally gasped and is an excellent determinant of whether you are in or out on this movie), and it really only works in conjunction with Pike’s over-the-top villain energy, which allows for some pretty rewarding twists as the film wraps up.
It’s not often that the third installment in a movie franchise can come in with a new set of cast members and a brand new plot and, in fact, elevate what’s come before it. But Now You See Me: Now You Don’t manages to do just that. The unfaltering passion about not only how cool magic is, but how it can be used to stop evil corporate overlords and make new friends is kind of what the very best popcorn-centric movies deliver on. Now, more than ever, there is no denying that we come to the movies for magic.
Review Courtesy of Ethan Simmie
Feature Image Credit to Lionsgate