The “Now You See Me” franchise has never been about realism. It’s always been built on flashy illusions, impossible twists, and asking audiences to simply go along for the ride. The latest sequel, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” sticks to that formula for better and for worse. While it doesn’t reinvent the series or deliver its strongest entry, I still had a good time with it and left the theater highly entertained.
The film starts off as the original Four Horsemen Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley (Isla Fisher), Merritt (Woody Harrelson), and Jack (Dave Franco) reunite to expose Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), a corrupt diamond heiress who is running a massive global money laundering operation. This time, they aren’t working alone. A new generation of illusionists (Justice Smith, Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa) joins the team, and they band together to pull off their most ambitious heist yet: stealing the legendary Heart Diamond.
It’s obvious the studio is laying the groundwork for the future of the franchise. Thankfully, that part mostly works. Smith, Greenblatt, and Sessa (and their characters) are all genuinely likable, bringing fresh energy without overshadowing the returning Horsemen. They bounce off both each other and the original cast naturally, making the transition feel surprisingly smooth instead of forced.
The story itself is perfectly serviceable, but if you’ve seen the previous films, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting. There are plenty of double crosses, secret plans, and last-minute reveals, even if the plot becomes increasingly convoluted as it goes along. Like its predecessors, the movie asks for a healthy suspension of disbelief, and there are moments where logic simply takes a back seat.
Visually, though, it’s exactly what fans expect. The elaborate set pieces, slick visual effects, and fast-paced editing make for breezy popcorn entertainment. A standout sequence set inside a house of mirrors is easily one of the film’s highlights, delivering the kind of stylish fun the franchise does best.
We do have to talk about the magic though, as it has really started to lose some of its spark. Many of the illusions feel like variations of tricks we’ve already seen in earlier films, and too many of them rely on obvious CGI rather than clever sleight of hand. One of the things that originally made these movies so much fun was trying to figure out how the tricks were pulled off. Here, it’s often easier to shrug and assume the computer handled it.
The franchise’s trademark smug, self-satisfied tone is also wearing a little thin after three movies too, with nearly every character delivering their lines with a knowing smirk. It’s like the characters actively hate each other and the audience to boot.
While it’s not great and certainly not the fresh reinvention the series probably needs, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” still delivers a lot of fun. I still like these characters, I enjoyed spending time with both the old and new teams, and the movie kept me entertained from beginning to end. Even if the tricks have grown a little stale, it’s still an easy, enjoyable popcorn movie that’s fun enough to make me curious where this next generation of Horsemen goes from here.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 