We would have loved to see a little more of Daniel Radcliffe.
Movie: NOW YOU SEE ME 2
Director: Jon M Chu
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Radcliffe, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Kaplan
What's it about:
Masters of magical heists, the Four Horsemen, Atlas (Eisenberg), McKinney (Harrelson) and Wilder (Franco) come up with one short and underground magician Lula May (Kaplan) is recruited by Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo), who we remember from the first film as an avenging FBI agent out to figuratively bury investment honcho Tressler (Caine), Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman) and other enemies.
Want a recap? Buy the first film's DVD. This one's events are set a year after their last big gig. The Four are no closer to figuring out who or what The Eye is, apart from the fact that it's a consortium of magicians that supposedly perform "real magic".
And then it comes, they're assigned to take down tech magnate Owen Case (Ben Lamb) at his own event launch. Instead, the Four and Rhodes get outed and are forced to make a run for it. Except, after jumping down a chute they expected to take them to safety, they wake up in Macau, with McKinney's twin leading them to his boss Walter Mabry (Daniel Rad), who wants a chip stolen from Case's hideouts, in return for their freedom.
Meanwhile, Rhodes is compelled to free Bradley from prison for help in finding the Four. Do they find their way home?
What's hot:
The familiarity factor. Brand recall is a big deal and this would probably be the biggest reason to watch the film. Kaplan seems more than capable to replace Isla Fisher. She's funny, smart and most importantly, has great timing. It's great to see Freeman and Ruffalo return for a fresh spat, but it's Daniel Radcliffe we'd have liked to have seen more of.
What's not:
A little over two hours, NYSM2 should have felt like a breeze, but it doesn't. Kaplan might lift the action a little, but it's Ruffalo's rather heavy screen presence and the perennially morose and cranky Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Atlas here, that bogs down the pace. Radcliffe starts out well, but has precious little to do in the scheme of things. The Four have precious little to do here. Very less show, a lot more tell. Something that becomes painfully apparent as the minutes wear on.
What to do:
Nothing quite as entertaining as the first film. And that's saying a lot more than I should. It'd take something of a magic trick to pull off a win with this one, despite some clearly winsome performances.
Rating: **
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