Now You See Me, Now You Don't
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)
The Horsemen have been drawing audiences into their magical ways of social justice since 2013. While some of the faces have changed over the years, their tactics and purpose have remained a shell game, constantly moving between entertainment and tipping the balances of morality. Director Ruben Fleischer (Uncharted, Zombieland) resurrects this troupe of magical vigilantes, drawing them out of the shadows with a new generation of illusionists looking to take on their roles.
Charlie (Justice Smith), Boscoe Leroy (Dominic Sessa), and June (Ariana Greenblatt) have been running events utilizing the personas of the original Horsemen to continue their methods of magical reparations. This continues until J. Daniel "Danny" Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) finds them and threatens to expose them unless they join him on a caper. The target: Veronika Vanderberg, the matriarch of the largest diamond organization and head of a family syndicate. In the process, the young illusionists realize things are not as they seem, as the rest of the Horsemen meet them along the way, joined by others who have been part of their misadventures over the years.
For all of us who have been enchanted by this franchise over the years, this third installment in the franchise has all of the magical elements of the past while attempting to find a new audience along the way. All of the cast of characters make their appearance in different ways and show why we have enjoyed being regaled by their slight of hand ways. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher may seem a bit slower on the quippy remarks and in their actions, but they prove why we have loved them and would consider seeing another globe hopping escapade. Rosemund Pike is convincing as the villain and her South African accent fills the role out to make her ideal for being a target for this vigilante band of magicians.
The challenge with franchises that hope to reboot with new characters is finding the right people to pass the baton to going forward. While Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt have chemistry as a team, they lack the same gravitas as the original cast. This comment might stem from a generational shift in performers' humour and confidence. Still, only time will tell whether they can take over as the future Horsemen.
Now You See Me, Now You Don't has all the magic of the original and proved to be fun, accessible to all audiences, and familiar enough without breaking any new ground for this franchise. Twists and turns that will keep their marks guessing, even though they know how this shell game will turn out.
Reel Dialogue and Third Space have entered the world of YouVersion: Download the app, dive into the plans, and engage with the Bible in a fresh and exciting way.
Reel Revenge
Interestingly, this third chapter of the Now You See Me series is less about the world illusion and more about revenge. We enjoy watching a movie hero get their revenge. Still, the Bible gives us obvious reasons not to take revenge.
Speaker and author Al Stewart takes us through a talk on how the Bible presents three arguments against taking justice into our own hands, all grounded in what we can know about God. These reasons are both a comfort and a challenge to us all.
