Review of Now You See Me (2013) by Khaled H — 15 Apr 2014

With an elusive and interesting cast, a thrilling plot, and a lot of suspense built up until the inevitable end, this film should be praised for its innovation and use of magic to further its plot. Still, though it has an element of suspense that keeps us watching with baited breath, it doesn't deliver on all its contrivances.

The ensemble cast sometimes entertains (especially Morgan Freeman as the elusive man behind shattering others' expectations) but the characters are so flat and boring that the actors can't work with this level of stilted dialogue.

There's this thrown in romance between Rhodes (Ruffalo) and Dray (Laurent) that feels so alien and unneeded that it somewhat throws the rest of the plot into chaos and undermines the characters, who are so flat and unyielding that you could steam roll right over them.

Magic is what makes this film tolerable and suspenseful throughout, wondering how each illusion is performed and whether or not the Four Horsemen will get away. The ending is what ruffles people the wrong way, partially because it's handled horribly, but mostly because it isn't explained all that well.

The link between the investigation and the rest of the story is tenuous and we're unsure of the relevance of the vendetta that enacts the entire plan. In the end you feel invalidated by the film, and the colossal misgivings of how the ending is handled.