“And Now? A Pigeon?”
While I found the first movie uneven, I enjoyed it enough to accept an invitation to watch the sequel with some friends. I’m glad I did because I found myself enjoying Now You See Me 2 quite a bit.
This movie picks up eighteen months after the first movie. While FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is still trying to track the Four Horseman (or at least pretending to), the four magicians are laying low, something that isn’t sitting well with Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg). He’s still in touch with Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKenney (Woody Harrelson). The only one who has left the group is Henley Reeves (because Isla Fisher did come back for the sequel). But Atlas wants to get out there again. And Jack wouldn’t mind no longer having to play dead.
They finally get called back to action. Joining them is a new Horseman, Lula (Lizzy Caplan). And their assignment? Infiltrate a tech company’s big announcement to reveal some secrets and warn about the new technology. But their event goes horribly wrong, and the four of them find themselves in danger, with Dylan making a deal with the last person he expected to in order to help them. Will they find a way to get out of their predicament?
One thing I appreciated about this movie is that it is a true sequel. It isn’t just a retread of the first. It actually shows what happens next to the characters, and it builds on what came before. As a result, I highly recommend you watch these two movies in order.
While the first one really played into the big stage magic acts, this one is a bit more subtle with the magic theme. Oh, it’s there, but it isn’t nearly as prominent. But that’s okay because the story that is being told is served by the magic we do get.
And the magic we do get is still spectacular. Oh, it’s more movie magic than realistic magic, but that’s okay. It’s still incredibly fun to watch.
To enjoy this movie, you have to be able to go along with what they are giving you. There’s one scene in particular that is so over the top but it is completely fun.
That’s really the key word here – fun. This is what movies should be. There’s action. There’s adventure. There are laughs. You don’t care how realistic it is or isn’t because you are along for the ride. And it’s a great ride.
Having said that, the characters are overshadowed by the action. There are some small character arcs, but nothing significant. You are here for the action and fun, not for the big character growth. But again, it works.
And this isn’t a slight on the actors. They are working on bringing the characters to life as best they can. They are just part of a movie that is focused on spectacle rather than character. Lizzy Caplan was a great addition to the core cast; I really enjoyed her dynamic with the rest. And there are some great actors in the cast I didn’t mention by name who are fun.
Speaking of spectacle, this movie is filled with special effects. And they all work. I have a feeling they were able to use a lot of practical effects, which helps. I completely bought everything I saw on screen.
Since I think my issue with the first movie was more personal preference than anything else, I can easily say that Now You See Me 2 was a better movie for me. Yes, it’s flash over substance, but it’s fun. And if that’s what you want, you’ll be glad you saw it.
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