The third instalment of the Now You See Me Franchise was released on the 14th of November and has taken the world by storm. The third film, directed by Ruben Fleishcher, follows the familiar entertaining group of magicians as they awe their crowds and cleverly commit heists, disguised as magic shows. This time, facing a new challenge as they go up against the matriarch of a diamond mining company involved in a money laundering scheme – the perfect target for one of their tricks. Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco and Woody Harrelson have returned to their beloved and iconic characters, to bring their magic back to the big screen. Their chemistry has created a believable bond between the characters, one which audiences are happy to see continued in this new addition. We also welcome Isla Fisher back as she returns to her role as “Henley Reeves”, who was missing in the second instalment. It was great to see the original four reunited again, almost as if no time had passed at all. The newest heist has also recruited the fresh faces of Justice Smith (All the Bright Places),Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), and Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie) who have definitely earned their places in the magician hall of fame as they play a ragtag group of younger illusionists, searching for the same success the four Horsemen achieved.
The film follows the characters as they re-explore the world of magic, having almost met their match in Rosamund Pike’s character Veronika Vanderberg, a socialite who doesn’t believe in magic, harbouring dark secrets behind her family’s success. However, it's not a Now You See Me film unless the magicians outwit their opponents, and I loved all of the creative ways they got themselves out of danger. I always appreciate the step up in scale of the heists in this series with each film creating a greater impact, and despite it seeming potentially unrealistic, the resolution is always satisfying. The whole film series is centred around the “underdog” and giving back to the communities that fall victim to the causes that they expose, which an audience can support and root for.
Outside of the main storylines of running away and fooling the police, the film has a consistent whimsical tone. After all, how else can you approach a film about magicians who double as vigilantes? The writers of these films have somehow managed to create a perfect balance between reality and fantasy. The films don’t take themselves too seriously, which makes it hard not to enjoy them. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t achieves what many films cannot,it makes people truly believe that they are there. People enjoy magic because of the mystery behind how the tricks work, but also want to be in the know of how they pull them off. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t does both of these things.
4/5
Image Credits – The Movie DB
