Now You See Me (2013)

Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Country: USA / France

Review: After some incursions on action genre with “The Transporter” and “Unleashed”, or superheroes’ adventures with “The Incredible Hulk” and “Clash Of Titans”, helmer Louis Leterrier decided to enter in the world of magic with “Now You See Me”. Like his previous films, this new one will hardly be remembered for good reasons, despite of the new style adopted and the luxurious cast that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco. The plot centers on a mysterious quartet of magicians, entitled The Four Horsemen that decided to rob banks on their shows, only to deliver the profits to the audience. This way, they became heroes at the eyes of the people but villains according to the law, representing a tough challenge for the FBI agent Rhodes (Ruffalo) and Interpol detective Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent). The plot lacks real mystery and is overcooked, with little enthusiasm arising from the magic tricks and not from the occurrences in the story. In the second half, the illusion tricks are replaced by real action, with the majority of the scenes indicating a stirred pace yet unconvincing twists. Showing a disconnected direction and tepid tones, “Now You See Me” comes in the same line of Christopher Nolan’s “Prestige” or Neil Burger’s “The Illusionist”, but stays a few steps behind them, not guaranteeing a so rewarding experience. No illusions here!