“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” brings fans back to the alluring magical world of the Four Horseman after a nearly decade-long break in the franchise.
The original magicians — J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), Meritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), known together as the Horsemen — join together for the first time in 10 years with a group of young magicians to expose a corrupt diamond company owner and return the world’s largest diamond to its rightful owner.
As a self-proclaimed superfan of the “Now You See Me” franchise, “Now You Don’t” was definitely worth the wait. For years, fans were told the series was over, so the day the third movie was announced, I immediately marked my calendar for a year later to make sure I was seated in the theatre opening day. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, reveling in the fact that my favorite magicians were back on the big screen.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” begins with a hologram of the Four Horseman back together again, created by three young illusionists perfecting their craft. Charlie (Justice Smith) is the mastermind behind their performances, June (Ariana Greenblatt) is an expert pickpocket and lockpick and Bosco (Dominic Sessa) is their leading man, performing on stage with his impressive mimicry skills.
Having received a tarot card pointing towards the trio, Atlas turns up at their top-secret apartment, chastising them for stealing his image while at the same time, inviting them to help him with his biggest heist yet.
The group attempts to steal Veronika Vanderburg’s (Rosamund Pike) diamond during a party where it is on display for the first time in decades, but run into trouble when Veronika’s team is better at fighting than they expected. Thankfully, the other three Horsemen come to their rescue, having received tarot cards of their own.
In true “Now You See Me” fashion, it’s never smooth sailing. The back of their tarot cards reveal a map to the group’s next location, and through twists, turns and magic around every corner, the film finally sets itself up for another installment in the series with the return of the Eye secret society’s Dylan Rhodes — “You thought your work was done? Think again team, you’re just getting started.”
Something that set this installment apart from the previous two was the time spent on Vanderburg’s scenes instead of the Horseman. The Horsemen are fun and entertaining, using any opportunity to show off their magical skills and excite the audience, while Vanderburg is just like any other corrupt billionaire in film. She often has her henchmen do her bidding instead of acting herself, she looks and acts uptight and just overall is not willing to get her own hands dirty and fight. This issue is made worse by Vanderburg’s lack of interest in the Horsemen until they target her, compared to the previous films which have more vengeful villains.
While “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” has its flaws, it’s still a fun watch. The franchise is always a visual treat, using magic and illusions to engage audiences in unique action scenes. Having a police chase take place in a house created for magicians by magicians allows for absurdities you don’t see anywhere else.
One trick that was brought back is Jack’s iconic use of playing cards as razor-sharp thrown weapons. Merritt’s hypnosis, Henley’s escape artistry and Atlas’s vanish and switch all return, but new additions get their chance to shine too. This includes a scene where all seven are competing for who can do the best trick, which brings fans back to that classic “Now You See Me” whimsy.
A simple edit that enhanced the film was the location cards. The Antwerp, Belgium card really catches the eye, in particular. Giant gothic letters spell out Antwerp between a building’s arches, and “Belgium” is written on the street in large red lettering that the characters walk over. The words move as if they are actually placed in that location, immersing viewers more deeply in the dialogue and characters without having to force eyes toward out-of-place text on the screen just to provide context.
Another strength comes from ignoring the classic phrase, “A magician never reveals his secrets,” allowing fans to feel as though they too could perform each exciting trick. The diamond heist is explained almost immediately after they escape, which is a bit rushed compared to previous films. But when looking from a wider lens, the reveal at the end and Charlie’s explanation of every trick and illusion that the audience did not notice ties everything together and answers every question.
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While a lot of the plot points may seem to hinge on audience familiarity with callback characters and series tropes, new viewers are still able to decipher what is going on. “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” does a great job at providing enough context clues to make sure new fans are just as immersed, while simultaneously providing Easter eggs for superfans. Even the title is something special, as since the first film came out fans have been hoping for the next title to complete the classic phrase, and nine years later dreams have finally come true.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” may be the third film in a franchise, but that does not stop it from being a stand out on its own. I believe that reviving the series with the introduction of a new generation of magicians has breathed life back into it. With the tease ending of a fourth film, old and new fans alike have something to look forward to. I can’t wait to see what the next big twist will be, or what new illusions the directors can come up with. After all, who can resist a bit of magic?
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