Now You See Me 2

Rewatched in preparation for NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T. Rating: C- Pretty much all my feelings regarding the original film resurfaced here, only amplified in a negative direction. This sequel suffers from the novelty factor wearing off, as the entertainment-driven narrative feels less captivating while the runtime is factually larger. It doubles down on the "nonsensicality" of the illusions, leaping from practical magic to straight-up CGI wizardry. With major set pieces receiving the usual exposition dumps and minor tricks left unexplained, the result is a convoluted structure that prioritizes artificial spectacle over internal logic. The characters remain shallow despite the cast's efforts. Lizzy Caplan brings a welcome energetic persona, but her romantic storyline with Dave Franco feels flat and unearned. Mark Ruffalo is the only one with an actual arc, though it introduces accidental retconning regarding Dylan's past and connection to Thaddeus. Meanwhile, Daniel Radcliffe is a bland antagonist whose presence relies entirely on his wizarding legacy as Harry Potter, much like the failed comic relief of Woody Harrelson playing his own twin. Safe to say I'm not yet convinced by this franchise...

Now You See Me 2 continues the story of the Four Horsemen with new conflicts and a fresh character, Lula, but falls short of the charm and magic of the first film. While the film offers fast-paced action and a polished visual presentation, it lacks the jaw-dropping tricks that made its predecessor memorable. The story feels rushed at the start and underdeveloped in terms of character depth, particularly for the new cast. Daniel Radcliffe’s role as the villain feels miscast, reducing the impact of the conflict. Despite its shortcomings, the film still provides enjoyable entertainment and sets up curiosity for a possible third installment. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)

**Now You See Me (but why would you)** Stage magic and movies are very much alike. The more convincing, the better. Unfortunately the action in this film, magic tricks, sleight of hand, hypnotizing people, is simply unbelievable - in a bad way. This is not an alternate universe with different rules of physics. This is not a group of super heroes using their powers, this is not a tale of magic becoming reality, this is simply unrealistic garbage. As for the actors, most notably we have Mark Zuckerberg (played by Lex Luthor) trying to take away the leadership of the "Horsemen" from "Jack" (played by someone without any screen presence whatsoever). Then we have a new person in the crew, an obnoxious girl, replacing someone from the prequel who I can't remember, because they were just as forgettable as the whole drivel that makes up both stories. We have Woody, Morgan Freeman, Caine, and Harry (Potter). In other words no one likable, unless you like them. Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) also shows his unlikable side. I tried to keep this on to help me sleep, but during the action scenes they cranked up the volume (as is customary in movies for some reason) so I ended up switching it off. The extra star I gave is for production value. 25 August 2016 I am migrating my reviews from a different site which has become like the reality of this flick. TMDB looks awesome and I look forward to be a part of it.