Review of Now You See Me 2 (2016) by Maksim B — 16 Sep 2016

Slower, less thrilling, somehow formulaic, but still passably entertaining, Now You See Me 2 is the long anticipated sequel to the 2013 magic surprise. As it could be expected, the second instalment is trying to mercilessly exploit the foundations of the first movie only to turn into something that resembles a younger and less posh version of Ocean's 11 (12 or 13). Mildly captivating and bolstered by even more talented cast, Now You See Me 2 offers a proper summer-time entertainment, but when compared to the original movie it disappoints simply because it lacks the elements that made the first movie so nice: the magic, the fast pace, and the simple thrills.

The story continues approximately one year after the events of the first movie. When The Four Horsemen receive the task from The Eye to expose an unethical technology magnate nothing seems to happen as they had planned. Going into a trap and chased by FBI again, The Fours Horseman are forced to participate in the game of the mysterious magnate Walter Tressler (Daniel Radcliffe) and his father Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine). Without many options left, the Horsemen need to execute the appointed task while finding a way to survive and to guarantee their safety.

There is no doubt that the premises of Jon Chu's movie are pretty intriguing. Unfortunately the first part of the movie is quite slow and if you approach it with the expectations created by the first delivery, you could potentially be disappointed. At some moments Now You See Me 2 could remind you of watching other heist movies and most notably Ocean's 11 with the main difference that here some "magic" tricks are used. Luckily, the second part of the movie is a nice return to form and it actually almost compensates for the bad start. The tension building is recovered, the story goes back to its roots, namely magic tricks and the stakes become high enough to keep you involved in the story. Director Chu tries also to develop a more complex plot around the character of FBI agent Dylann Rhodes (Marc Ruffalo) and even if this adds up a bit of unnecessary complexity, the audience will find itself more involved in the story thanks to Rhodes' search for answers and personal revenge. In addition to this, it should be mentioned that the movie benefits from some fresh newcomers to the cast. Michael Caine is far from being a newcomer in the movie industry, but his presence adds up a certain level of seriousness to the villain side of the movie. The same could not be said about Daniel Radcliffe, who is not quite convincing as Caine's son who is planning to digitally take over the world.

In conclusion, Now You See Me is definitely a passable summer season entertainment. Its main problem is not that it is bad, but that it cannot match the level of its predecessor. Therefore, if approached with the same high expectations, you will most probably be disappointed by less moments of tension and magic brilliance. Still, a good choice for a home cinema evening.