Sequel naming conventions can be a funny thing. The majority will opt for merely adding the next sequential numeral — Roman or otherwise — while others will eschew a traditional numbering system for the prestigious subtitle. (And some will offer both, as in the case of Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo). Excepting the occasional out-of-left field twist of something like 2 Fast 2 Furious, many would contend that sequels titles should follow some sort of internal logic, should the film warrant a sequel in the first place. When Now You See Me was released in 2013, nobody expected it to expand into a franchise. The Louis Leterrier film was flashy and over-adrenalized at the expense of logic, utilizing the world of magic to concoct harebrained schemes with some of the most unlikable protagonists in recent memory. It was an aggressively broad picture that played every moment to the back row, but it was a considerable box office hit, and thus The Four Horseman were reunited three years later with 2016’s Now You See Me 2. Now directed by Jon M. Chu, who’d go on to add unchecked bloat to the Wicked duology, the sequel offered more of the same, but nothing was more deflating than the title, which really should have been called Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. Yet despite this egregious oversight, the second film still did decently well at the box office, securing interest for further adventures and sleight-of-hand shenanigans. But just when the world needed them the most, The Four Horsemen vanished, leaving a trail of uncertainty in their wake. Nine years later, their absence has been filled by “pandemics, wars, climate change, and A.I.,” but they have finally returned, and they’ve brought some new blood along with them to breathe life in the franchise once again, with the second sequel now rightfully titled Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. Unfortunately, what should have been a recipe for success is now just a retread of former glories, as there is little to enjoy in this installment, which is a largely tired and lifeless affair, no matter how hard new franchise director Ruben Fleischer works to gussy up the joint.
In the intervening decade since they foiled tech mogul Owen Case, The Four Horseman have disbanded, breaking off into their own separate corners of the earth. Capitalizing on their image are Bosco (Dominic Sessa), June (Ariana Greenblatt), and Charlie (Justice Smith), three up-and-coming magicians who rely on holograms and deepfake technology to rob the wallets of crypto bros and redistribute their wealth to the investors they defrauded. After one particularly successful evening, the trio are approached by J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), who enlists the three of them for a mission handed down by The Eye, the shadowy organization who oversees all things magic. Their mark is Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), the head of a South African diamond company with familial ties to Nazi Germany. Veronika is hosting a gala event to unveil the Heart Diamond to the world, and the Horseman are tasked with stealing it. On the night of the big event, fellow magicians Merrit McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher, who skipped Now You See Me 2) re-enter the fray to assist Atlas and the newcomers. Unfortunately for them, Veronika won’t give up her beloved diamond without a fight, sending all parties on a chase around the world.
Much like its predecessors, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t features not a single iota of genuine magic. Working from a screenplay credited to four screenwriters, Fleischer sells the enigmatic techniques of the Horseman through digital trickery and showy camera techniques, keeping the dispiriting tradition of the franchise alive as the Horseman are reintroduced not as practitioners of manipulation and card-handling dexterity, but flagrant superheroes who can bend reality to their will, which is made literal in the case of the character of Henley, who reminds us all that she can fly… because of course she can. The difference here is that there is very little enthusiasm to carry the picture, with most of the franchise veterans going through motions, while the younger crew are too overeager to sell the stuffing out of some pretty hack fakery. Fleischer stages one extended sequence inside a French Chateau that serves as the headquarters for The Eye, replete with inverted hallways, a hall of mirrors, an M. C. Escher-esque stairway, and even a forced perspective bedroom, but offers little in the way of imagination, likewise content to wade in meager ambition. There’s even a showboating oner that showcases all of the Horsemen’s various talents, but the entire shot is DOA, lacking spark in the performances and marred by CG tinkering. It’s telling that the best addition to the film is Pike’s villainess, who plays the role with the right amount of camp to at least make her part fairly enjoyable. Nobody else seems to have gotten the memo, let alone had a good time.
The previous Now You See Me films were comparatively modest in their heist film aspirations; Now You Don’t strives to be a Bond film, ostensibly setting up the crew as secret agents as they globetrot around the world. Act three takes the action to the United Arab Emirates, where the film devolves into a blatant endorsement of tourism in Abu Dhabi, otherwise known as the “Orlando of the Middle East.” (Between this film, Mr. Beast’s Beast Land, and the Riyadh Comedy Festival, it’s been a banner year for American-promoted entertainment in the Middle East.) Beyond that, there’s a precarious trap involving falling sand, an ineptly staged car chase, and a final plot twist that should not be took difficult to see coming from miles away. This joylessness results in scene after scene of obnoxious characters working out issues without the use of any authentic magic. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t reaffirms the franchise’s status as being one of the most relentlessly idiotic, so obsessed with appearing impressive that it forgets to let the audience in on the fun.
DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer; CAST: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Justice Smith; IN THEATERS: November 14; DISTRIBUTOR: Lionsgate; RUNTIME: 1 hr. 53 min.
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