Now You See Me

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, though Hawaii will never be far from my mind. In keeping with my summer movie marathon, I went to see “Now You See Me” tonight. And I am floored. I just got back from the theater where I bought myself a Monsters University cup and enjoyed a coke during the movie. Now I’m going to be awake all night, which means more blogging!

“Now You See Me” is a caper film that involves sleight of hand, illusions, hypnosis, and escape artistry – in other words: MAGIC! I love magic. I’m the kind of person that loves the show and I’m constantly volunteering when I see street magicians so I can pick a card, only to be amazed that they know which one is mine. Also, Neil Patrick Harris loves magic, so by the transitive property, I love magic too.

I remember seeing the preview of “Now You See Me” and thinking it would be a pretty cool film with some magic in it, but after watching the whole movie, I’m very happy with the result. It’s part “Ocean’s 11,” part “David Copperfield.” The premise of the movie is that four magicians are recruited to pull the world’s largest magic trick – a heist to return money to the disenfranchised. The motto of the movie is, “The closer you look, the less you see,” hinting that there’s a larger story at hand. I don’t want to give away too much, but the twist is pretty interesting and to see how some of the tricks are unveiled to support the heist is really cool!

The cast was magnificently put together and Jesse Eisenberg has really matured into a very good-looking fellow. Also, Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Great Gatsby) and Dave Franco (21 Jump Street) help add to the handsome cast and for some big names, look for Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, The Hunger Games), Morgan Freeman (do I need to mention what he’s in??) and Michael Caine (BATMAN!!!). I thought their acting was fantastic as a cast.

After reading a few critic’s reviews online, I’m not surprised to see that the reception isn’t all A’s and raves. There are certainly holes to ponder and because it was shown on the silver screen, there’s question as to whether some of the tricks can really be pulled off or whether the help of CGI and green screen make the movie work. Despite all that, I still enjoyed the movie for its inventive nature and showcasing a group of people that don’t really get that much cinematic spotlight.

I’m hoping to see “The Internship” tomorrow so I’ll be back with another review and some more posts! If you’ve seen the movie or are planning to, leave me a comment!