In 2013, the original “Now You See Me” movie released in theaters worldwide, creating a fan base from its lovable characters and unique plot. Audiences fell in love with the “Four Horsemen” of magic, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenburg), Merritt McKinley (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), each with their own personal skill to use on stage. Their fantastical tricks and slick sleight of hand made the movie unlike anything the world of entertainment had seen before. Most importantly, they were no average magicians; they were con artists who used their tricks and shows to right major societal wrongs.
Three years later, the Horsemen returned in “Now You See Me 2.” More lovable characters and addictive elements were added to the continued plot, making the audience eager for more. This second movie’s ending alluded to a third in the series, but fans (myself included) began to lose hope after so many years with no new movie in sight. After years waiting, it was announced that the third movie would be released in November of 2025.
As a huge fan of the first two movies, I nearly sprinted to the nearest Cinemark when I found out Now You See Me: Now You Don’t was just released. The beginning of the movie rushes right into that dark, slightly intimidating feeling of magic. The underground stage, the menacing lights and the roaring crowds make it feel just like the old movies.
Every major original character returned for this movie, even Morgan Freeman’s character, the lovable Thaddeus Bradley. The inclusion of everyone, even less significant characters, made the movie more nostalgic and brought viewers right back to 2013.
What was interesting to me was that in this movie, they followed the common movie trope of having younger, sassier counterparts to the original characters. These young people originally made me roll my eyes, thinking, “Great, it’s basically another Descendants movie.” Aren’t we tired of original movies being dumbed down and turn into teen films? How wrong I was when the plot twists began to unravel and I realized the warpedness and distortion of this new plot.
If anything, the addition of the younger generation made the story more interesting as the teens were portrayed as major fans of the original Horsemen. They had studied not only their magic trick skills, but also how the Horsemen lived by Robin-Hood-like rules, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. These were no average teenagers in a basic magic movie; these were scam artists idolizing other scam artists and living out their legacy.
Without giving away any major spoilers, because I wholeheartedly believe anyone reading should binge these movies, the ending of this movie shocked me and left me staring at the dark screen for a moment. I was not at all disappointed by the outcome of the movie; if anything, this was possibly my favorite in the series.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t currently has a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (RT), which is fairly low for a successful new movie. According to one RT reviewer, “If a movie could be punchable, this one would be.” It’s clear this movie didn’t land quite as well with some viewers, but the majority of reviews sing its praises, such as one that states, “This movie really is a celebration of the Now You See Me movies that have come before.”
The ending of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t also alluded to a potential follow-up movie, and if that happens, I will have to try to contain myself. We can only hope and pray that it won’t take nine years to make this time!
