A Plot Built on Card Tricks
The charm of the first film (for those who could still find it, like the writer of these lines) resided in the promise of an avalanche of magic tricks, a nicely buoyant group dynamic among endearing characters, all wrapped in a light, entertaining thriller veneer. Those qualities, already only modestly solid in the original, had vanished by the second installment, and the hope of seeing them magically reappear in the third film was thin to begin with.
The disappointment is now confirmed, with the main suspect a tangled, faux-sophisticated plot that borrows from the worst James Bond on one side (the simplistic intrigue with Rosamund Pike as a Nazi-heiress diamond trader) and the worst buddy movies on the other (all the scenes of half-flirty, half-buddy banter among magicians that reek of a supermarket Men in Black). In truth, if treated with a heavier dose of second-degree humor and fewer showy flourishes, the story could still be a genuinely honest, diverting time at the movies.
The problem is that, despite the humor in some lines (let’s admit that one or two are fairly decent, and even that a two‑part joke about Jesse Eisenberg’s character’s father is hilarious), the film itself truly tries to sell the hows and whys of its plot, while each dramatic twist carries the believability of a scene from Airplane!. And trying to pull a ZAZ vibe while aiming for James Bond (rather than the other way around) works about as well as a juggler with one hand tied behind their back.
And also: it’s not illegal to keep the female lead in a ballroom gown and high heels throughout, even when the circumstances hardly justify it, while the male characters spend their time commenting on her looks? Poor Henley Reeves/Isla Fisher. She is, after all, the lone “knight-errant” character whose exit from the troupe is explained by the desire to have children.
Shut Up, It’s Magic
The other main gripe is that the film tries to push through every shortcoming and clumsy line with a heavy layer of epic music, harsh spotlights in your face, and characters who talk like quick-witted savants, snapping their fingers left and right to conjure cards out of thin air, as if that were enough to justify the pace.
In other words, an overdose of half‑smirking tricks that aim to manufacture the illusion of rhythm and control for scenes that, without this smoke and mirrors, would offer little more than emptiness. And the promised magic tricks? Unfortunately, like in the second film, they’re as disappointing as the rest, split into two camps: the far too simple tricks that a kid who has watched The Greatest Show on Earth once could explain, and the entirely digital, utterly unachievable ones that fail to dazzle in any meaningful way.
Still, talented illusionists aren’t scarce on the planet. Was there really not a single one available to lend a hand and add some real cachet to the sleight-of-hand sequences, which are supposed to be the film’s main appeal?
Not to mention that the lack of inspiration as soon as spectacle is required even revisits the infamous hallway-turning shot that we’ve seen ad nauseam since Inception. And, obviously, Now You See Me 3 isn’t shy about dipping into The Prestige, forgetting that some comparisons do more harm than good when you’re not up to the task.
Rosamund Pike, Nose First
In short, at least the performers still matter, right? After all, the casting is undeniably solid, and each actor does what they can to breathe life into their character despite the writing.
But between a Rosamund Pike who self-caricatures as the icy, manipulative beauty (with a questionable accent on top of it), Morgan Freeman who pops in for a bit to play the old wise man again, Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg trying to remind us their careers aren’t exactly at their peak, and Dave Franco and Isla Fisher looking a touch too glad to have something to do… the star-studded ensemble starts to feel like the third act is already on its way.
On the younger side, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt fare as well as they can, bringing a bit of fresh breeze to the saga. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough to make Now You See Me 3 a good time at the movies.
But the film at least manages to function as entertainment in its own right (if you overlook a few cringe-worthy moments and unavoidable eye-rolling), with the merit of not being the worst in the genre. The problem is that audiences want it to take its mission seriously and do better, precisely because the concept remains as alluring as ever, and we’d love to see it actually deliver on its promises.
Now You See Me 3 has been in theaters since November 12.
