Beebom Score
Magic has fascinated us for the longest time, and if you are a fan of attending magic shows and magic in general, there is a very good chance that you have multiple watch times clocked for the Now You See Me movies. These might just be one of the greatest movies revolving around magic we have seen in a while, and now that we have its third instalment here with us, it has to be just as good as the other two, right?
Well, the answer to that is a little bit complicated because while the movie, on a surface level, has negligible flaws but on an operational level, it has several. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this review for Now You See Me 3.
The Plotline Works, but Is Somewhat Predictable
When you are in the line of work I am, there comes a point where you can accurately predict what’s going to happen next in a movie. However, Now You See Me has been a franchise that has mastered the art of being unpredictable. The first and second movies were a masterclass in keeping events under the cover, and even when it comes to little details, like “oh, they’re going to get caught” or “He’s gonna make this happen,” it was never predictable in the slightest.
However, if we talk about Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, certain elements of the movie become somewhat predictable, and even though the climax was mindblowing, it was honestly the only part that took me by surprise. Now You See Me 3’s plot looks and feels like a rebranded version of the second movie, but this time around, on a somewhat larger scale.
Even though it becomes apparent, the new faces and the old ones, working together for a greater purpose, armed with nothing but magic, will get you all riled up, but you might be able to predict what comes next at times.
The New Faces Come in Like They Have Always Been There
We all know that Now You See Me 3 brings us a couple of new cast members, namely, Justice Smith as Charlie, Dominic Sessa as Bosco, and Ariana Greenblatt as June. In the movie, these three are highly skilled magicians who do exactly what the Horsemen used to do. They would plan elaborate tricks, steal money from the criminal, and give it to the people. However, when they used holograms of the Horsemen to perform a trick on a fraudulent Crypto broker, Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) tracks them down, kicking off the events we witness in the movie.
Now, most of the time, when new faces are introduced to an established franchise, it takes a while for the people to adjust and adapt to them. However, in the case of Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, it just happens naturally. The movie introduces us to these new characters so subtly, yet so impactfully, that it almost feels like they have been around all this time and we just didn’t know.
These characters don’t gradually grow on you; they do it in an instant, and you won’t even realise that you are rooting for a guy or girl you have never seen before in the franchise, and according to me, that’s some real fine craftsmanship from the writers and the actors.
While Everything Else Works, The Magic Seems Somewhat Stale
In every Now You See Me movie so far, there has been one scene that people never stopped talking about. For instance, the card scene in the second movie is still iconic and probably always will be. However, in Now You See Me 3, the wow factor was somewhat missing, the magic tricks seemed predictable, and if you have seen the previous movies, it won’t be hard for you to do as well. Now, I was expecting great things from the climax of Now You See Me 3, but while some of it did manage to surprise me, the other half was not exactly the best.
In the climax, we see that Victoria Vanderburg (Rosamund Pike) is caught in a magic trick, which leads her to believe that she is going to her secret vault, but in reality, she was brought on stage and exposed in front of an audience. While the trick itself was amazing to watch and creates an amazing effect, it almost felt like a rebranded version of the climax we saw in Now You See Me 2 with the aeroplane.
The details of the fake sand, the wrong car, the overall illusion, it all felt like, hey, I’ve seen this before, which might leave you a bit half-hearted by the end. Now, if we talk about the major plot twist, that one, you will not see coming, and I hold no intention of spoiling it for you.
So, Should You Watch Now You See Me 3?
Now, we move to the big question: Is Now You See Me 3 worth watching? The franchise has redefined how magic has been portrayed on screen since the very first movie. While there is no denying that Now You See Me 3 is not the strongest outing from the franchise, it is equally true that even after this, it is a good and enjoyable movie; a popcorn flick, if you may.
The tricks are cool, the humor is not too much, and the plot twist really-really works. If you are a fan of the franchise, you might find yourself slightly disappointed, but you will be entertained. So, if you are looking for a fun and enjoyable time, get yourself some tickets for Now You See Me, Now You Don’t.
