Film Review- Now You See Me 2

Now You See Me is one of my favourite films of the 2010's. Fast, funny and self-aware, it featured one of the most star-studded ensembles assembled outside of The Avengers and a plot with rewatchability that is second to none. It took me by surprise and was the most fun I've had in a cinema. As such, when a sequel was announced that would let us see a new chapter in the story of the Four Horsemen, I was buzzing with anticipation.

And this might have been my first mistake.

Usually when I go into a theatre I try to reign in my expectations. This means that if the film is bad I'm not too disappointed, and if it's great then I leave extremely satisfied. But I couldn't stop myself here, I just expected so much. And in many ways it delivered. The returning cast delivered in spades, with Mark Ruffalo serving as the film's emotional anchor. After his, in my opinion, immortalising turn in "Spotlight" last year, it was good to see cinema's greatest "Hulk" back having fun on our screen as his understated charisma is perhaps his most endearing quality.  Jesse Eisenberg does his thing and Dave Franco is as charming as ever. In Franco's case I'd love to see him take on a more dramatic role after this because I have a feeling he could surpass the heights set by his older brother. Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine also bring a sense of class and experience to what is a relatively young cast. In saying this, is the newest additions to the ensemble that shine the brightest in Now You See Me 2. Daniel Radcliffe has the time of his life as the film's main antagonist, Walter Mabry. As equal parts charming as he is menacing, Radcliffe thrives in a supporting role. He is allowed to have fun and adds so many fun shades to his character, his villainous persona at least partially inspired by his proclaimed mentor Gary Oldman. A long way from his days as The Boy Who Lived, I predict Radcliffe's stock will continue to grow after his display here. Yet the film's greatest performance comes from Isla Fisher's replacement Lizzy Caplan. The "Mean Girls" actress is a breath of fresh air in the role of Lula May. She is so sharp and her wit and warm demeanour are more than welcome, with my only criticism being that I wanted to see more of her. Very impressive performance that steals the show from higher profile names.

But the movie does have a lot wrong with it. First of all, the editing. Now I'm no Roger Ebert, so you know when I notice a problem like this on a technical scale, something is most defiantly wrong. The action sequences were very poorly paced which I could forgive, but even the way regular scenes were out together was very strange. It seemed to cut to characters out of nowhere and there was a point where a character began to speak who I didn't even know was in the room at that point. That is not good. The plot is also inferior to the original. While the first instalment earned their twists through really smart storytelling and pacing, this used them as a crutch and a gimmick. The plot holes were gaping and the tricks were not explained, something that the 2013 original did well to avoid. To be honest it's hard to put my finger on what exactly went wrong here, but the best way I can describe it is that it lacked the "Wow" factor.

Or it might have been Woody Harrelson's evil twin. That could be it. He was annoying. And unnecessary. 

Overall, Now You See Me 2 is very "meh". This hurt my feelings. Is it terrible? No. The cast is extremely game, there are some hilarious moments and it is fun for the most part. Yet it just didn't have the magic of the first and almost seemed to cash-in at times on the back of the success of the original. If you're a fan of Now You See Me this is worth seeing, just don't make the mistake of going in with unrealistic expectations like I did.

Score: 6.7/10