Magic to mundane

Not long ago, I hosted a magic show for a friend in the industry.

It was a fantastic night filled with impeccable illusions, sensational showmanship and a hefty helping of fun – everything this movie was not! Following on from the events of the first film, the Four Horsemen return and are drawn into a devious game of cat and mouse by Walter Maybry (Radcliffe), a tyrannical tech wizard (pun most definitely intended).

Maybry tasks the magicians with stealing a chip, hidden in a secret facility underneath a local casino, which can control all of the world’s computers. Meanwhile, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) hatches his own plot against Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), the man he blames for the death of his father.

Sadly, that’s about as much as I can say without giving the whole movie away. The plot has a lot of balls in the air, and that’s putting it mildly. To me, many aspects of the movie felt strangely familiar, then it hit me – this is Oceans 11 with magic tricks! And, speaking of magic tricks, the ones in this film were awful, thanks to obvious special effects and simple implausibility.

It goes without saying that these kind of films require the suspension of disbelief, but Now You See Me 2 really pushes it. I lost track of how many times I found myself scratching my head and muttering to myself: “That could physically never happen.”

Perhaps the most noticeable disappearing act in this film comes from Isla Fisher, who was replaced by Lizzie Caplin as a result of an unexpected pregnancy. So, we have a new Horseman called Lula May and you just have to accept it. Caplin delivers a memorably annoying performance, which is great if that’s what she was actually going for.

It goes without saying that Harrelson has great acting chops; he’s proven it many times. However, because of the weak script and poorly written dialogue, he never has a chance to shine in Now You See Me 2. His duel role as Dylan and his dim-witted twin brother, Chase, leaves much to be desired.

Eisenberg is still on my naughty list for his abysmal portrayal of Lex Luther in Dawn of Justice and he certainly did himself no favours for a chance at redemption in this role. His character has about as much depth as a glass of laban at iftar and isn’t nearly as refreshing.

Film Weekly readers may remember I don’t have much love for the Harry Potter franchise (there’s the Letters to the Editor to prove it), but this film would’ve been much better if Radcliffe was sporting his trademark glasses and pointy stick. 

Some actors are sadly defined by a single role and it doesn’t matter how many movies Radcliffe stars in, he will always be known as the boy wizard. It’s just too hard to accept him as a villain, whenever he was on-screen I found myself looking around for Emma Watson! Now You See Me 2 is a lacklustre affair that leaves the audience with more questions than answers and, frankly, it amazes me that a film with such a phenomenal cast could be so disappointing.

Showing in: Novo Cinemas, Cineco, Seef II, Saar, Wadi Al Sail, Dana Cineplex