NOW YOU SEE ME 2

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 is the sequel to a fast-paced heist movie about four rebellious, do-gooder magicians nicknamed “The Four Horsemen.” This comedy thriller uses ridiculous magic tricks and intense action to bring its story to life, but the plot is a bit confusing and choppy.

The Four Horsemen include: Daniel Atlas (Jessie Eisenberg), the arrogant leader; Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), a fun-loving trickster; Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), a swift pickpocket and heart throb; and, their boss, Dylan (Mark Ruffalo). Joining them in the sequel is Lula, a cute tomboy magician played by Lizzy Caplan.

At the start of the movie, the Horsemen’s nemesis, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), is in jail because he’s been framed for their crimes while the Horsemen still remain the subjects of an FBI manhunt. Their boss, Dylan, poses as an undercover FBI agent to gain more knowledge about their enemies and help guide them along the way, but it’s not that easy. The Horsemen haven’t been together in a year and become stagnant in their careers while waiting for The Eye, a mysterious secret society of magicians, to tell them what to do next.

Soon, The Eye contacts Daniel, leading him and his fellow horsemen to Macau, where Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) gives them an ultimatum to follow his orders to recapture a powerful computer chip or die. Walter has found a way to steal valuable information through technology. Forced to stay in Macau at the will of Walter, the Horsemen need to expose Walter for his dirty, vengeful practices. However, with their lives on the line, they must quickly use their best magic along the way. They embark on a wild chase running through the bright, busy seaport of Macau while using magic tricks to outsmart Walter and his people.

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 has one thing going for it and that’s the entertainment value. With numerous explosives, fast-moving action and speedy magic tricks, it’s a fun movie to watch. The dynamic personalities of the characters and the talent of the cast provide the glue that holds things together.

Unlike the first movie, however, viewers aren’t let in on any of the tricks beforehand. Here, the audience is exposed to the truths as the story progresses. Also, the movie’s choppy storyline and cheesy humor make it hard to follow and almost unbearable to sit through until the end.

Finally, the movie has a strong Romantic worldview where desire to gain revenge against corrupt leaders is the driving force. This is mitigated by a moral worldview showing the protagonists working as a team out of loyalty and compassion for one another in an effort to bring justice about a man’s dirty business practices. NOW YOU SEE ME 2 also has some foul language, intense action violence that’s sometimes disturbing and brief occult references to Tarot Cards. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.