Everyone loves magic; the spectacle, the panache, the puzzle of working out how the trick was done; and everyone likes a good mystery as well (again, it’s the puzzle that hooks us in), so how did Now You See Me; a movie about a troupe of bank-robbing magicians, full of tricks and impossible heists; fall so flat, and fail to capture the imagination of anyone watching?
With the magicians comprising of Rampart‘s Woody Harrelson (playing a has-been mentalist), Zombieland‘s Jesse Eisenberg (as a cocky street-magician), Wedding Crashers‘ Isla Fisher (as the token, lady-magician), and 21 Jump Street‘s Dave Franco (as a cocksure pickpocket/wannabe magic-man), and supporting stars including the likes of veterans Michael Caine (The Dark Knight) as the group’s wealthy sponsor, and Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight Rises) as an infamous magic de-bunker, as well as the skills of Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers‘ Hulk) playing the detective charged with proving the magicians’ guilt, it’s obviously not a casting problem that let’s Now You See Me down, so what is it?
Basically it’s the plot; having a bunch of spunky young magicians, and the wonder that is Woody Harrelson (a brilliant yet shockingly underrated actor), robbing a bank in Paris, from a Las Vegas stage, is an excellent hook, and looks fantastic, but the problem lies in the revelations; every little twist and turn in this apparently ‘clever’ movie can be seen even before you press play, and while a brilliantly clever trick would have been more than enough to astound any audience member, someone somehow deemed it necessary to throw in a supposed supernatural element, in order to keep us guessing if they really did it. The whole film is just too transparent, and clearly trying too hard.
However the opposite can be said of the cast (they clearly weren’t trying at all); as while Woody brings his A-game and remains the best thing in the film (as usual), with the possible exception of the visual flair exhibited by director Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans), Jesse Eisenberg is his usual irritating self, Isla Fisher is nothing more than cheap eye-candy (and frankly doesn’t even hold-up as that), Franco is pathetic, and both Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman look as if they were on Valium during filming, and exhibit no real emotion or feeling no matter what the situation (despite financial ruin, imprisonment, and a number of nifty situations that call for more than a little feeling). Mark Ruffalo looked like he was the only one who was really acting, and doing a decent job of it, but unfortunately, as talented as the other guy is, a supporting actor can’t carry an entire movie by himself.
Actually, one of the main problems with Now You See Me comes from the lack of a lead character; sure it worked in The Avengers, but here not only are the members of the magic troupe too shallow and uninteresting to hold the limelight, but it’s unclear exactly who we’re following, and who we’re supposed to root for; are the magicians the good guys, or the bad guys? Is the detective a good guy, a douche, or something else? Maybe the debunker is the one to get behind? And in the end, a bit of visual flair, and a decent cast (in name only), can’t make up for the lack of focus, poor acting, transparent plot, and the fact that by the time the finale rolls around, we’ve not invested in any of the characters, and couldn’t care less what happens to them.
Video:
Unlike the movie itself, the picture quality for Now You See Me is as impressive as the main attraction should have been; coming to Blu-ray with exceptional sharpness, deep and inky blacks, natural fleshtones, and suitably strong contrast levels which boast natural colours, and true depth. There are also very few technical issues with the presentation, aside from a few minor instances of banding, and extremely negligible dips in detail now and then, meaning that overall, this is a visual presentation that should more than satisfy anyone watching.
Audio:
Likewise, and in fact even better than the video, Now You See Me’s audio presentation is near perfect; coming via a lossless 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, listeners are treated to constant and realistic engagement from every speaker (creating full 360 degree immersion), easily intelligible dialogue, smooth pans, effortless transitions, an impressive dynamic range, and consistently well placed and levelled effects all round, which, when coupled with the weighty yet thankfully not overused low end, creates a soundfield which isn’t to be scoffed at.
Extras:
Less impressive however, is the selection of bonus material on offer for anyone adopting the Now You See Me Blu-ray package; we do get a commentary track (which is fairly informative, easily to listen to, and by no means an unworthy inclusion, though sadly only available on the theatrical and not extended version of the main film), a couple of trailers for the film, several deleted scenes, and two featurettes (a surprisingly easy to watch EPK Making Of, and a fluffer piece delving into the history of magic and some well known magicians), though nothing else. It’s a selection of special features which ticks all the must-have boxes, and viewed singly can be quite fun and informative, though does nothing to push the boundaries of what we’d already expect to see, and as such won’t astound any viewers.
The Bottom Line:
It’s hard not to pick faults with Now You See Me, especially if you’re the type of person that tends to see plot twists coming and guess what’s happening from the get go. Sure it’s got an impressive cast (though when some of the biggest names are barely putting in a performance it is a bit of a let down), and looks simply dazzling, but a few visuals tricks and an impressive idea sadly can’t maintain interest in a film that’s both underdeveloped, and lacking focus.
However, if you enjoyed Now You See Me at the cinema, or even just fancy a blind punt (because while it doesn’t live up to the hype in any way shape or form, it’s certainly worth a watch), there’s no denying the Blu-ray certainly holds it’s own in terms of quality; the special features, while not astounding, are all worthy inclusions, and both picture and audio quality are excellent; and so while it may not be worth the New Release price tag, it’s an easy to watch film, and one that’d be worth picking up from a Bargain Bucket in the near future, and one that, despite its problems, is definitely worth a rent.
