Now You See Me 2

Plot: The four magicians [Atlas (Jessie Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack (Dave Franco), and new girl Lula (Lizzy Caplan)] from the first movie are in hiding and looking for something to do. Mastermind Dylan (Mark Ruffalo) gives them a new job, but it turns out to be an FBI sting, and they slide through tube all the way to China. They meet Daniel Radcliffe, and he is mad at them from the first movie. After this the plot becomes too complicated to write down, let's say lots of magic happens and then the movie ends. [imdb]    [photos]

Review: Less than the sum of the parts. The mind just glazes over with all the wheels within wheels, and hats being pulled out of rabbits [sic]. It's not real magic, and not stage magic that actually has to work, it's special effect movie magic that is bound by no rules at all. Superimpose a twisty thriller plot, and I got lost and then bored, and actually napped during the middle.

The first movie was cool. The outlaw, Robin Hood-like magicians were so cool as they held these spectacular shows. In this movie they go global, with theoretically bigger illusions, but also way more far-fetched.

The best scene was the fight scene with Mark Ruffalo using magic tricks to get away. The worst was trying to remember what was going on with the plot. Who cares about this computer chip?

Cast: Jessie Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Michael Caine, Moran Freeman, Sanna Lathan

Directed by: Jon M Chu

The Music: Lively orchestral music by Brian Tyler; nothing notable.

The Visuals: There are some cool visual during the performances. I liked the urban nightscapes in Macao too.   

Rating: 1.5 stars: Actually took a nap during the middle.

 

More: Your eyes are not deceiving you. Now You See Me 3, is already in production

Even More: And why was there an FBI van driving around in London? And why were they arresting people?

Yet More: Filming was in London and Macao. Macao looked to authentic to be anything else. I wonder if there are more Chinese language scenes in the Mandarin version.

.

.