‘Now You See Me’ can be fun, at least with the brain turned off

Now You See Me, the new magic thriller starring Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo and Jesse Eisenberg, is a clever take on the present state of the magic world. With so many magicians (David Blaine, Criss Angel) upping the ante in the spectacle department, the old world of white rabbits in black hats is somewhat dying off. Magic has turned raw, by the people and for the people.

Along those lines, Now You See Me follows four magicians/illusionists, some who play to a crowd, others simply pickpocketing innocent victims. There’s J. Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg), one of the most respected magicians in all of magic-dom. Harrelson plays Merritt McKinney, a hypnotist with an uncanny ability of having people speak embarrassing truths about themselves. Isla Fisher plays Henley Reeves, whose backstory is essentially that she dated Atlas at one point, and Dave Franco plays Jack Wilder, a criminal who presents some magic on the street and then steals the spectator’s wallet.

These four illusionists are selected (for no apparent reason) by a nebulous person to form a super-group of magicians and dazzle the world. They receive the financial backing of Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and stage an enormous show in Las Vegas. Their finishing act is a doozy: They apparently transport a man halfway across the world to steal money from a European bank. The audience members, who enjoy the money that pours down on them, are amazed, while the police begin their investigation.

Mark Ruffalo plays Dylan Rhodes, the lead investigator who has the unenviable task of bringing down this group of illusionists. The problem is that they are too good at their craft. Every time the police think they are about to arrest one of the “Four Horsemen,” the illusionists are able to escape. There’s even one scene where Atlas is able to take off his handcuffs and place them on Rhodes, all within the blink of an eye.

Morgan Freeman also turns up as Thaddeus Bradley, a rogue illusionist who has made a business out of revealing the secret behind magic tricks. He also pursues the Four Horsemen, trying to understand how they keep pulling off these amazing acts.

For originality, Now You See Me is a top-rated summer movie. Director Louis Leterrier knows how to amp up the drama surrounding each magic act, almost to the point where the cinematic audience is wondering how these illusionists are able to do what they do.

The screenplay, written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt, unfortunately falls flat. The motives behind the Four Horsemen remains a mystery, and it’s difficult to believe that the illusionists are performing these sleights of hand because the “populace” needs revenge on the “upper class.” There is no backstory presented that would make the audience believe any of these four illusionists would care about the common good. Atlas is a magician interested in himself. McKinney comes close to ruining people’s lives with his hypnosis. Wilder steals wallets for a living. Reeves never receives a history. How do these four characters come together to take on the “world” and show us corruption? When the four main characters are lacking in motive, the entire story falls apart.

The acting is hit or miss. Harrelson knows this is more of a comedy than a drama, and he plays up the humor. Eisenberg needs to find a new cinematic act; Atlas feels too much like his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg. Freeman and Caine walk through their respective parts with ease, never taking too many risks. Ruffalo is the best of the cast, mainly because we spend time with him and watch his budding relationship with INTERPOL agent Alma Dray (the always lovely Mélanie Laurent).

Now You See Me suffers from one of worst sins in Hollywood: The movie is too clever for its own good. It plays like a quasi-enjoyable magic act. The flick passes time but leaves no lasting impression.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Now You See Me

• 2013

• Directed by Louis Leterrier

• Written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt; based on a story by Yakin and Ricourt

• Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Mélanie Laurent

• Running time: 115 minutes

• Rated PG-13 for language, some action and sexual content

• Rating: