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The Four Horsemen resurface and are forcibly recruited by a tech genius to pull off their most impossible heist yet.
For the most part, sequels typically don’t perform as well as their predecessors. In most cases, the first film in a series is usually the best but there are exceptions: “The Godfather: Part II,” “Aliens,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “Evil Dead II,” although I have to admit I still prefer “Alien” to its more-than-stellar follow-up. “Now You See Me 2” takes the characters that we were introduced to in the first movie and cranks everything up to ten, the story, the action, the set-pieces, the cast, everything about this film makes “Now You See Me” appear to be standing still. In many ways, this feels like a magician’s “Ocean 11,” as our heroes are given seemingly impossible tasks but somehow manage to accomplish them and much of that credit goes to the movie’s new director, John M. Chu, the man responsible for such unbelievable action in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” and while he brings that same playful sense of direction with him, he also manages to keep the film’s at times, frenetic activities, grounded in reality.
This time round, we find out that Isla Fisher’s character of Henley from the first movie, is no longer with the Four Horsemen. Several years have passed since we last saw them and we discover that she grew tired of waiting for their next big performance so the remaining group, Daniel (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt (Woody Harrelson), Jack (Dave Franco) and their enigmatic leader, Dylan (Mark Ruffalo), welcomes a new addition to the team in the form of beautiful and playful Lula (Lizzy Caplan). No sooner has she banded with the guys than Dylan gives them their next big appearance. Setting out to expose the disreputable morals of a tech mogul, the Horsemen have just started their broadcast when they themselves are suddenly, and unexpectedly hacked, brandishing them as frauds. They quickly manage to escape out the back and down a slide to their waiting vehicle but once they reach the end, they realize that they’re not in New York any more, they are actually in Macau, much to everyone’s confusion.
They are hastily grabbed by men carrying guns and brought to a swanky hotel, where they are introduced to Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), one of the most powerful tech magnates in the world, who seemingly died a year earlier. He tells the Horsemen that they need to retrieve a disk, one that will give him the power to access any computer mainframe in the world and in return, he will set them free. At first, most all of the Horsemen refuse but Daniel accepts, later telling them that he has a plan to steal the disk and use it to prove to the world that Walter is indeed, not dead. As his plan unfolds, things don’t go according to plan when Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) materialize, working together. The Horsemen manage to escape where they are able to regroup and with a little help from the Eye, a small group of magicians that claim to utilize real magic, they set out for London, for the biggest performance of their lives.
“Now You See Me 2” is grandiose is scale and setting and is one of the most enjoyable films this year. The interaction between the characters is priceless and the scene where they have to retrieve the disk, is reminiscent of “Mission: Impossible,” where Tom Cruise has to retrieve a similar disk while dangling from a ceiling. It is tense, exciting and sensationally executed and when the scene was over, the audience clapped and cheered, something that doesn’t happen too often in screenings any more. The ending is left wide open for the inevitable sequel and John M. Chu has already signed on to direct again. This is great news because if Part 2 is anything to go by, I cannot wait for Part 3. I just can’t imagine how they will top the disk scene.
In theaters June 10th
