Reviewed By: Flickman
I originally had tickets to attend a screener for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, but a prior commitment forced me to miss it. After finally watching the film, I can honestly say I’m kind of glad I did because I didn’t miss much. This installment is nowhere near as good as the original and not even close to being as enjoyable as the second. It’s just… okay. And that’s a real letdown, especially since I was genuinely looking forward to it.
Aside from the return of the Horsemen, this sequel has very little connection to the first two films. While the second movie at least was a continuation of the original story, this one shifts its focus almost entirely to a group of new, would-be Horsemen. That decision alone was disappointing. The plot centers on exposing a corrupt diamond dealer, Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), who has been laundering money for criminals. To stop her, the original Horsemen reunite and team up with a group of young illusionists who are supposedly the future of “The Eye.”
At first, the film gave me hope. It opens with the original Horsemen back on stage, preparing a new magic performance, and for a moment it felt like it was going to be a winner. Then the new characters were introduced, and I immediately sighed. I remember thinking, “great, these kids are going to take over, and the originals will barely be in it.” While the new illusionists do become a primary focus, the original Horsemen are eventually pulled back in when The Eye needs their help, so I ended up being half right.
One of the biggest problems with this installment is that it never truly feels like a Now You See Me movie. The previous films had a strong “magic trick” vibe, where the illusions were central to the story. This one feels more like a generic diamond heist or revenge film with a few magic tricks sprinkled in. Even worse, many of those tricks serve no real purpose – They’re mostly there for the characters to show off to one another. Ironically, that showboating ends up being the most entertaining part of the film. The scene where they meet Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman) in the elaborate house was actually pretty cool, but once again, it quickly turns into another showcase of pointless tricks.
As for the new illusionists, I didn’t care for a single one of them. None felt believable, and they mostly came off as cocky, entitled kids. The worst offender is Bosco, played by Dominic Sessa. His character was so irritating that I kept hoping he’d end up being a secret villain who would get taken down by the original Horsemen in some clever way. Unfortunately, that never happens. Even by the end of the movie, I still couldn’t bring myself to care about any of them. The ending is clearly set up to tease another sequel, and if that happens, I truly hope these characters don’t return. They may be decent actors in other roles, but they were completely wrong for this one. Then again, the entire “new Horsemen” storyline never should have existed in the first place.
I’d love to say that the magic itself saved the film, but it didn’t. There’s nothing new here. Most of the tricks feel recycled, and some are so heavily reliant on CGI that they lose any sense of believability. A few moments were mildly entertaining, but overall, the illusions failed to impress.
There’s not much else to say. The movie feels like it exists simply because the studio wanted another Now You See Me installment, but couldn’t come up with a compelling story. Strip away the original Horsemen, and this easily could have passed for a cheesy Disney Channel heist movie.
In the end, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is just okay – and that’s the biggest insult I can give it. It’s easily the weakest film in the franchise and not one I feel any desire to rewatch. The original Horsemen deliver solid performances, as expected, and Rosamund Pike does a good job as Veronika. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast turns in some pretty piss-poor performances. I really hope the next installment ditches the new Horsemen entirely, because they’re the main reason this film didn’t work for me. The movie isn’t terrible, it just failed to meet my expectations in every meaningful way. Overall, it was simply… meh.
—SPOILER ALERT—
The ending was easily the most frustrating part of the entire movie. The original Horsemen are locked inside a glass box by Veronika as sand begins pouring in, forcing them to find a way out before they suffocate. Meanwhile, the young illusionists are supposedly creating a distraction. The big twist reveals that one of the younger characters is actually Veronika’s half-brother – someone she believed to be dead and the true mastermind behind the entire plan.
Here’s the problem: we’re expected to believe that Veronika failed to recognize her own brother despite being in the same room with him 5 feet away. Seriously…come on. On top of that, the Horsemen nearly die in the sand trap, which raises the question: was their escape really part of the plan the whole time? Because if it was, that’s an incredibly risky and poorly thought-out one.
The final reveal takes place on a massive stage in front of thousands of people, exposing Veronika for who she really is. But the original Horsemen didn’t even know about the brother twist from the beginning. If I were in their position, I’d be furious that these kids withheld such critical information and almost got them killed. Instead of feeling clever or satisfying, the ending just feels messy, illogical, and frustrating – perfectly summing up why this installment doesn’t work.
Overall Verdict: By far the worst of the franchise. While it's not a "bad" film to watch, it's not on the same level as the first... or really even the second.
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