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.
