Now You See Me (Leterrier, 2013)

There's way too many characters, but the story of Now You See Me is almost fun enough not to notice. 

Set in the world of magicians, the film takes audiences on an amusing ride through various locations across the globe. It is not very original, but Now You See Me still manages to offer an entertaining non-action alternative for the summer movie season. It's fast-paced, energetic, and all around fun to watch.
Now You See Me tells the tale of four street magicians of varying talents, played decently by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco. These small-time tricksters and con artists are given a rare opportunity when they are chosen to work together on a new act. One year later, these Four Horseman put on a big show in Las Vegas- and steal several million Euros from a bank vault in Paris during their final act.

The FBI, working with Interpol, investigates this seemingly magical robbery that pits reluctant agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) against a famous magic debunker (Morgan Freeman), a rich financier of the Horseman (Michael Caine), and a mysterious Interpol agent (Melanie Laurent). Rhodes now has to figure out how four once insignificant magicians have stolen millions of dollars before they strike again.

The characters in Now You See Me are nothing more than mere plot devices; audiences know little to nothing about any of the multitude of criminals and cops that come their way. The heroes and villains (though it's never clear who the audience is supposed to root for) alike are uninteresting and pale stereotypes of unfamiliar people, leading to a disconnect from the viewer.

But, Now You See Me is indeed enjoyable to watch. The mystery is intriguing and the reveals are equally dramatic. The actors all do a fair job in their performances, though they do not have much to wrok with in the script. Director Louis Leterrier clearly emphasizes style over substance in a film that that shines when it's performing magic and falls when it's attempting melodrama.

The plot twist at the end is so strange that it transcends simple liking or disliking; it's simply too out-of-the-blue for the audience to even find value in it. While there are several pitfalls about the movie, most general audiences should fin it lighthearted mindless fun. The real magic trick however, would be making people sympathize with any of these empty characters. Look closely, because the harder you look, the more you will realize that there is nothing actually there.

Three out of five stars.