Review: Now You See Me 2

The Magic is Back

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: June 10, 2016 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller

Running Time: 129 minutes

Director: Jon M. Chu

Writers: Ed Solomon, Pete Chiarelli, 

Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, 

Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, 

Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, 

Jay Chou, Sanaa Lathan, 

Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, 

David Warshofsky, Tsai Chin  

"Always be the smartest guy in the room."

That was "the first rule of magic" according to Jesse Eisenberg's steadfastly self-assured character in 2013's "Now You See Me." In that movie, four magicians robbed a bank in Paris – while they were in Vegas. This time, the tables are turned on them: they escape through a drain pipe in the U.S. – and end up in Macau, China.

Three of the original Four Horsemen are back for magic trick #2. They are J. Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco). Gone is Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), who "got tired of waiting." Her replacement is the young and spirited Lula (played by the equally young and spirited Lizzy Caplan). As great as Fisher is, I think I prefer the new girl. Out of all of them, she may be "the smartest guy in the room" this time.

Naturally, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is still hot on the trail of the Horsemen – or at least that's the line he's feeding his partners in the Bureau, newcomer Natalie Austin (Sanaa Lathan) and prickly veteran Cowan (David Warshofsky, who was also in the previous film).

If Eisenberg was arguably the "star" the first time around, his charisma and charm are dialed down considerably for the sequel and he takes somewhat of a supporting role and backseat to Ruffalo – although both movies are very much ensemble pieces. I am a bit disappointed that Eisenberg has almost been shuffled off to the side – he was such a dynamic and magnetic presence in the first film – but Ruffalo is a superb actor in his own right.

Neither of them are "the smartest guy in the room" anymore – or are they? As with the first, there are many twists and turns, but the characters played by Eisenberg and Ruffalo are definitely vulnerable and on the run for much of the movie. Arthur Tressler (Morgan Freeman) and Thaddeus Bradley (Michael Caine) – both of whom are returning from the original as well – may or may not have something to do with that.

It looks like The Horsemen have finally met their match when they come face-to-face with tech whiz Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe, in a nice piece of casting – he's best known, of course, for portraying the most famous magician of the modern era, Harry Potter). He wants them steal a chip that will allow him to hack into any computer in the world and decrypt anything it comes into contact with. Hermoine would not approve.

Harrelson has double the screen-time in this sequel – literally. He also plays his long lost twin brother in a situation that gave me traumatic flashbacks to Jack Palance in "City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold." But even though the twin character didn't entirely work for me, it was fun to see Woody clowning around again after taking on mostly dramatic roles over the past few years.

"Now You See Me 2" does attempt to explain some of its tricks, but they're mostly ridiculous and implausible – cinematic sleight of hand instead of actual magic. There is one scene with a playing card that defies every rule of logic and even gravity. If they can all throw a tiny card around with such precision, then they missed their true calling – they should be Major League Baseball players instead of magicians. The first movie likely had some of the same issues, but everything seems more excessive this time.

Still, such criticisms are probably missing the point. Did I have fun while I was watching? Absolutely. I was smiling for most of the movie.

There is one small scene in the final few minutes that I loved. It's no more than a tiny exchange between Michael Caine and Daniel Radcliffe, but they make those few seconds shine. Caine is such a delicious cad and Radcliffe has fantastic facial expressions.

The sequel isn't quite as good – are they ever? – and neither is its ending. Silver Screen Friend thought of a much cooler finale, which would have involved the Ruffalo character's father. But "Now You See Me 2" is still a worthy second (magical) act.

• My review of the first Now You See Me

Review: Now You See Me

Summer Movie Magic

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: May 31, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Running Time: 115 minutes

Director: Louis Leterrier       

Writers: Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, 

Edward Ricourt           

Cast:  Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, 

Woody Harrelson, Mélanie Laurent, 

Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, 

Morgan Freeman

"Now You See Me" is the perfect summer "popcorn" flick: light, breezy, and entertaining – and it doesn't waste any time! After briefly introducing each major player, it gets right into the action.

The four magicians at the heart of the film are trickster J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), escapist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), and young lockpick expert Jack Wilder (Dave Franco).

They each receive a card inviting them to a specified location. Daniel and Henley already know each other; the others are strangers. Before long, they are an official group: The Four Horsemen (not to be confused with this or them). Why have they all been brought together, and by whom?

Their first magic trick is to rob a bank in Paris – while they're in Vegas.

This criminal act – or is it? – earns them the immediate attention of the authorities. They're quickly captured and interrogated by an overwhelmed FBI agent, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), and his assistant from Interpol, Alma Dray (a super-cute Mélanie Laurent).

"The first rule of magic," Daniel announces before befuddling them with trickery: "Always be the smartest guy in the room!"

As it turns out, the FBI and Interpol aren't the only ones after The Horsemen. Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), a former magician who now debunks the tricks of the trade, is hot on their trail as well. But Daniel and his crew have a powerful ally: Financing them is insurance tycoon Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine).

The rest of the movie is composed of dazzling tricks and fast-paced chase sequences – both, sometimes, in the same moment.

"Now You See Me" is pure Hollywood summer escapism at its best: fast, furious, and fun! If you stop to think about what's happening, there are bound to be a few holes in logic you could poke through with a magic wand. Luckily, the action moves far too quickly to really allow any time for that – at least while you're watching. The entire script is much like a great magic show: one trick after another. 

Review: Warm Bodies

Not Your Typical Zombie Movie

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: February 1, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Romance

Running Time: 98 minutes

Director: Jonathan Levine    

Writers: Jonathan Levine (screenplay), 

Isaac Marion (novel)

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, 

Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, 

Dave Franco, John Malkovich

Zombies are dead and eat human brains, but other than that, they're just like you and I.

In "Warm Bodies," the world has been overtaken by the undead. The cause is unknown, but the effect is obvious: zombies now outnumber people. The surviving humans have been plunged into an apocalyptic wasteland. Teenagers are turned into trained soldiers.

In other words, the setup for every zombie movie ever made.

Not so fast! Right from the very beginning, it's obvious that "Warm Bodies" isn't your ordinary, everyday flick about the sluggishly slow. The movie starts out with a narration from a teenage boy named R (Nicholas Hoult, "About a Boy"). He's one of the zombies. Narration from a zombie? Well, that's unusual.

R's best friend is M (Rob Corddry, not Judi Dench). You can see his pain and hopelessness. Their "rapport" is one of the highlights of the film. It's a rare dramatic role for Corddry, and he nails it!

But R is different. That becomes obvious after he encounters Perry (Dave Franco, brother of James), who tries to kill him. He's one of those teenage soldiers I mentioned above. With him are his girlfriend, Julie (Teresa Palmer), and her best friend, Nora (Analeigh Tipton, who was great as the babysitter in "Crazy, Stupid, Love"). They're also soldiers. Times are tough!

They're under the command of Julie's dad (John Malkovich). Years of tragedy have made him lose perspective. He has become obsessed with wiping out the zombie plague. Everything else is secondary – including what's left of his family.

R has an opportunity to kill Julie, but he protects her instead. Not typical zombie-like behavior, but then, there's nothing typical about "Warm Bodies" at all. The friendship that develops between R and Julie is one of the reasons why. Julie isn't the pathetic, fawning Bella Swan of the "Twilight" series, who trips over herself to inhale the fumes of her pale, sparkling, distant, emotionally abusive vampire lover.

Even though R is among the walking dead and Julie is a frightened girl, they still somehow manage to make a typical teenage connection. In many ways, R's altered state symbolizes the awkwardness and anxiety that come with being that age. Using a zombie backdrop to explore those complex feelings and emotions is a flat-out brilliant storytelling device.

I'll be perfectly honest: I hate zombies in general. They're slow, boring, and have no personality. I go out of my way to avoid anything featuring these brainless mutants from the monster kingdom's third world. I'm told "The Walking Dead" is amazing television, and I will give in and watch it eventually. I also have very little interest in the upcoming "World War Z" with Brad Pitt. I'll keep an open mind though. Maybe if it were "World War V" instead and featured vampires, I would care more.

But "Warm Bodies" won me over. It's one of the most interesting, creative takes on the zombie genre that I've ever seen.