Now You See Me
Summit Entertainment | Release Date: May 31, 2013
7.1
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 857 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
570
Mixed:
196
Negative:
91
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User scoreBy dateMost helpful
7
VandyPriceJun 7, 2013
As the films mantra goes, the closer you look the less you see, but if you are going to enjoy this film it is a wise decision to do exactly the opposite. There is no need to investigate or inspect each and every twist and turn this filmAs the films mantra goes, the closer you look the less you see, but if you are going to enjoy this film it is a wise decision to do exactly the opposite. There is no need to investigate or inspect each and every twist and turn this film throws at you because there are bound to be holes. No, in fact what is best to do in order to enjoy Now You See Me is to simply sit back and take it in for what it is: pure, escapist cinema that delivers a relentlessly fun and entertaining ride that speeds by and leaves you satisfied when the credits begin to roll. Kudos to this movie for being able to stand on its own two feet in a season where every Friday is dominated by a sequel or spin off or re-make or something that is a familiar product that is sure to find an audience somewhere. Now You See Me is a completely original film in the midst of big studio fare that has the star power, the concept, and the appeal to win over those movie-goers who aren't just looking for an escape from the real world, but from the saturated sci-fi superhero adventure genres that are playing on every other screen. That is not to say I don't enjoy those kinds of movies as well and this year has been particularly good so far in terms of summer popcorn entertainment, but simply knowing going into this film that we are up for a fun ride that takes a subject that's commonly considered nerdy, such as magic, and combines it with the formula of a heist film to create something imaginative and fresh is indeed refreshing. Though there are certainly plot holes to be picked apart once people have the ability to re-watch the film several times, upon first viewing this is nothing more than a caper of a good time that has an incredibly strong cast each member of which is doing what they do best, churning out some solid and genuine laughs while balancing the never-serious tone with a fair amount of action and mystery that is compelling and keeps you guessing until the very end.

read the whole review at www.reviewsfromabed.com… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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7
BizzyBJun 18, 2013
If you were actually paying attention the movie, you probably saw that twist coming from a mile away. Despite how predictable the ending was, the witty dialogue throughout the movie was enough to make me feel good about buying the ticket.If you were actually paying attention the movie, you probably saw that twist coming from a mile away. Despite how predictable the ending was, the witty dialogue throughout the movie was enough to make me feel good about buying the ticket. This was Woody Harrelson's best performance in a long time. The interactions between him and Eisenberg had me laughing the whole time. The humor in this movie should be enough to make up for how predictable the ending was.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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7
CriticGuyJun 12, 2013
"Now You See Me" is a good magic movie. When Morgan Freeman explains the magic tricks it takes a while to understand, but I liked the twist at the end. You kinda say to yourself I knew it! The heist they The Four Horse Men) performed was"Now You See Me" is a good magic movie. When Morgan Freeman explains the magic tricks it takes a while to understand, but I liked the twist at the end. You kinda say to yourself I knew it! The heist they The Four Horse Men) performed was interesting and fun to figure out how they did it. At times it was hard to keep track with the movie, then your back in track with it. That was my only problem with movie mostly. Overall i give it an 7 out of 10. The movie was really fun throughout though.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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7
jdadams01Jun 14, 2013
It is what you'd expect it to be. An entertaining film without anything profound. I didn't go into it expecting Shawshank Redemption-level movie-making and I was entertained as a result.
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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7
srininet1Jun 16, 2013
Not the best movie on magic and heists, but not the worst either. Its extremely polished (great cinematography, music, art direction and special effects), very good acting (you can't go wrong with such a cast Morgan Freeman and Michael CaineNot the best movie on magic and heists, but not the worst either. Its extremely polished (great cinematography, music, art direction and special effects), very good acting (you can't go wrong with such a cast Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are stalwarts, Ruffalo is dependably good, and Isla Fisher looks mesmerising), and a good premise. However, the story/screenplay is where the movie takes a hit. Its not very convincing or captivating. It doesn't build the characters after introducing them. Doesn't show how they prepare for each act and how they work as a team except for some friendly banter now and then. And the final twist is not explained properly as to how he planned and executed this whole thing. Hence it leaves you wanting for more!… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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7
toemac65Jun 26, 2013
Definitely not as goos as The Prestige but a truly fun engaging movie despite the holes in logic. Cast was fun and nice visual effects. Not a favourite but an enjoyable see.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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7
MamaTLFAug 30, 2013
Movie is thrilling, exciting and when I watched it i couldn't wait to see what will happen next. Dialogue was good made me laugh many times as well as the action scenes. Overall the move is very good, if you ignore the end. You get thisMovie is thrilling, exciting and when I watched it i couldn't wait to see what will happen next. Dialogue was good made me laugh many times as well as the action scenes. Overall the move is very good, if you ignore the end. You get this character development of a sceptic FBI agent that is good at his job and at the end his personality goes 180 and you see the entire plot, scenes, dialogs (what made this movie as excellent as it is) as fake. If you want to see the movie again, with your friends or family, you can't do it unless you ignore the ending, that you previously saw, to re experience the great plot in the first 90% part.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
marcmyworksAug 6, 2016
Well this film was a lot better than expected. Combining elements of David Copperfield with Ocean's 11 was pretty genius and original. My only big critique is the film would have fared better with real magic tricks rather than CGI.
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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7
eagleeyevikingNov 29, 2013
Although it suffers from a flat ending and can't help feel fictional, Now You See Me provides great visuals and some smart twists (not the last one!) to succeed.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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7
AGarcia732Jul 20, 2014
The movies plot really is extremely convenient, with it's story tied to random chance. Various plot points and questions were still unresolved at the film's conclusion. It's confusing at times and implausible. However, if you can ignore that,The movies plot really is extremely convenient, with it's story tied to random chance. Various plot points and questions were still unresolved at the film's conclusion. It's confusing at times and implausible. However, if you can ignore that, you will enjoy this movie. An entertaining movie with a strange premise but two huge twists at the end. A cast that really hold this entire movie up, and very well too. Liked the magic and action. You really must see this movie.

And whether you like it or not, a sequel is being planned!

If you liked this review, read my other ones by clicking on my name and mark this review as helpful. Remember, every vote counts!

(And P.S, you may have seen or read this review under "'andrewgarcia732". I can't get into my old account and have started a new one.)… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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7
chwJul 17, 2014
Now You See Me was absolutely amazing. The magic tricks weren't just amazing/impossible, but nobody would've thought of doing magic tricks like these.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
vikesh2206Nov 9, 2014
Now You See Me's convoluted third act and one dimensional characters robs the magic it weaves throughout the remainder of the movie and all of its visual splendour.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
AaronDWassermanJun 26, 2015
A fairly entertaining movie. It shows even more why Eisenberg can completely impress the world with his acting chops. But the cleverness of the script is impressive. the only negative is that it is way too long and drags on to much
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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7
MEFzelderMay 22, 2016
"Now you see me" es una de la películas policiales más originales que vi, no es una obra maestra pero ejecuta muy buenas ideas, giros argumentales y bastante acción que entretienen y termina siendo una buena película.
La película nos"Now you see me" es una de la películas policiales más originales que vi, no es una obra maestra pero ejecuta muy buenas ideas, giros argumentales y bastante acción que entretienen y termina siendo una buena película.
La película nos introduce a cuatro magos callejeros: Daniel (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt (Woody Harrelson), Henley (Isla Fisher) y Jack (Dave Franco). Quienes son reclutados por una figura misteriosa para convertirse en un grupo afamado que ejecuta crímenes a lo Robin Hood con sus actos de magia. Mientras tratan de evadir al detective Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) y a Thadeuss Bradley (Morgan Freeman) un revelador de trucos de magia.
En si la película es entretenida en todo momento, si no es por los trucos de magia hay escenas de acción que mantienen alto el rendimiento de la aventura, todo sumado a la gran producción fotográfica de cada lugar donde realizan los eventos Los Cuatro Jinetes.
Uno de los puntos blandos es el romance, por algún motivo pensaron que sería buena idea relacionar por ese lado al detective Dylan y la agente del Interpol, Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent), y a Daniel y Henley, pero en ambos casos no se ve el apego o los sentimientos, queda muy forzoso. Además hay giros en la trama que son muy predecibles.
"Now you see me" es una buena película, tiene sus puntos fuertes y en general es entretenida a lo largo de toda la duración, a pesar de no ser tan sorprendente cumple.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
MasterRileyJul 23, 2016
Now You See Me is a very interesting movie that held my interest closely throughout. The way their magic tricks were planned and portrayed kept the film entertaining throughout. Definitely a really cool movie I recommend checking out.
0 of 7 users found this helpful07
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7
manaadeJan 14, 2022
I enjoyed watching this movie. Awesome scenes to watch and I was amazed when the final truth was revealed. If you haven't seen this movie, I would recommend this movie!
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
JacobJan 6, 2015
Even if there are other films that have told a similar story, Now You See Me is entertaining. The story is engaging and suspenseful making me wonder what would happen next. The explanations for the magic tricks were surprising and clever andEven if there are other films that have told a similar story, Now You See Me is entertaining. The story is engaging and suspenseful making me wonder what would happen next. The explanations for the magic tricks were surprising and clever and the big reveal that the end was one that I didn’t see coming and I’ll be curious to rewatch the film to see if there are hints of it. Definately worth checking out.… Expand
0 of 6 users found this helpful06
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6
nutterjrJul 26, 2013
It is not a disappointing film, but rather a disappointment of how good it could have been. There are a lot of great ideas, but then again there are so many holes in the storyline. There are some great actors, but then again one of the mainIt is not a disappointing film, but rather a disappointment of how good it could have been. There are a lot of great ideas, but then again there are so many holes in the storyline. There are some great actors, but then again one of the main roles is given to Eisenberg who instead of magical he is quite irritating.… Expand
2 of 4 users found this helpful22
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6
adhamhanyOct 24, 2013
Well, it had good enough twists, as well as good acting from most of the cast. However, the plot left a lot of questions unanswered or answered unclearly. It was a good movie. I was just expecting something better.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
StevenFNov 1, 2013
This magician-fuelled attempt at being a thriller constantly reminds the viewer that while something is going on here, the real thing is going on elsewhere, a distraction if you will. Well this whole film, enjoyable yet shallow, is a constantThis magician-fuelled attempt at being a thriller constantly reminds the viewer that while something is going on here, the real thing is going on elsewhere, a distraction if you will. Well this whole film, enjoyable yet shallow, is a constant distraction, it has a lot of flashing lights and booming music to draw the attention away from a plot that is drawn out to be very complex when, it actual fact, is quite straightforward. It always makes a point of blowing every single detail out of proportion to the point where there are intentional moments to throw the viewer of a scent, a scent that is honestly not that difficult to follow. There is a star cast to back up such a colourful show, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco call themselves the Four Horsemen, we see them going about their day to day trickery as street hustlers and con artists, until they are mysteriously brought together as a collective group, Atlas is the showman and illusionist (Eisenberg), Merritt (Harrelson) is the mentalist who has quite a funny opening scene with a woman and her cheating husband, Henley (Fisher) is a beautiful escape artist while Jack (Franco) is a pickpocket and quite the entertaining fighter as well. As these four are brought together and financed by the shady Tressler (Michael Caine), they pull off a ban heist from their Las Vegas show, yet the heist happens in France, after they ‘teleported’ a man from their show to the vault of said bank. What then ensues is a race against time for the viewer, to see if they can outsmart the writers and get to the finish line of the whole plot, the illusions continue but no clear or reasonable motives ever seem to be present, the film definitely lacks in cause for these characters, particularly the role of Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman), a man who makes a living out of debunking magicians, who then decides to help out the FBI agent Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) to bring down these magicians, only problem being they cannot figure out what their next move will be. As often impressive as the film looks and feels, it never seems anything more than just that, a nice shiny car that has no engine, it lacks the proper character direction, these four talented individuals show no real inclination of why they so desperately want to evade the police and put on a good show, no backstory whatsoever. But despite that, the talent playing them are bang on the mark in bringing a unique approach to each performance, confidence and wonderful trickery often ensues, but can get a bit long in the tooth as there is little point to a lot of it. This is certainly a flashy and in your face technique, delivered through a lot of dizzy camera movements and showmanship, yet drag it all away and there is still something worth seeing here, but it gets lost in all the glamour of trying to put on a big show, this ultimately prevents the film from being as enjoyable as it could have been, it has its thrills, but tries too hard to deliver more in the process.… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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6
tropicAcesMay 31, 2013
It's fun in the moment. Some entertaining performances and chase scenes. But there are a half dozen plot holes and an ending that is just lazily handed to the audience. Not awful, just nothing special.
4 of 6 users found this helpful42
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6
counts0981Jun 28, 2013
Now You See Me is at times an enjoyable film. The best scenes are the magic ones, which are very well done and the acting is good. But the story is subpar especially the ending. I don't think the movie is worth the charge for seeing it inNow You See Me is at times an enjoyable film. The best scenes are the magic ones, which are very well done and the acting is good. But the story is subpar especially the ending. I don't think the movie is worth the charge for seeing it in theatres. I would recommend waiting till it's on demand or at redbox.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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6
Miro11Jul 22, 2013
This film had a lot of problems.

a) There is no lead character, and you just do not know who you are supposed to root for. If you have an ensemble cast, you need to either have them all on the same time or clearly distinguish who is goodThis film had a lot of problems.

a) There is no lead character, and you just do not know who you are supposed to root for. If you have an ensemble cast, you need to either have them all on the same time or clearly distinguish who is good and who is bad. Hence, all characters in this film were only superficially developed, and you end up not caring about any of them.

b) Almost nothing is explained. One of the best parts about heist films, which goes double for a film about magic, is when you get to explain everything in every little detail. This was not done. The narrative also had some gaping holes, such as the incredibly advanced technology which is used to create holograms. Never explained.

c) The twist at the end. I'm trying not to give anything away, but that twist at the end was interchangeable with any other character. The writer obviously just got to the end and thought I need to think of who the bad guy is going to be", and just picked a name out of a hat. Disappointing.

d) A very forced and unnecessary romantic interest.

HOWEVER.

The film was nevertheless enjoyable and entertaining, if not a bit predictable at times. The actors gave good performances, but the Harrelson/Eisenberg duo were begging for way more screentime. But despite my problems with it I enjoyed it and was never bored, just wished I had a character I could root for.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
kraubenjJun 11, 2013
I enjoyed the concept of the movie. However, I was hoping they would touch on the little things like the handcuffs, flying scarfs, and so on. I understand the point of the movie but more should have been put into explaining. By the time (overI enjoyed the concept of the movie. However, I was hoping they would touch on the little things like the handcuffs, flying scarfs, and so on. I understand the point of the movie but more should have been put into explaining. By the time (over 3/4 way in) they started explaining the movie, however, they (the production team) confused me. Magic or real?

Director of Photography Mitchell Amundsen must have taken over the photography. I could tell it was him right away, circles around everything!!!! GRRR. It gives me headaches.

I do enjoy movies that keep me at the edge of my seat. WAY TO GO!!! It kept me on the edge the whole time. HOWEVER, the ending was left pretty wide open in my opinion. A possible sequel?… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
Marcel_ThibaultJul 16, 2013
A fun movie, which unfortunately let's it's ambition get the best of it. Even though the "magic tricks" are visually well executed, they seem very random at times.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
MovieGuysMar 8, 2014
Now You See Me is a very entertaining and fun movie to watch, with a pretty good twist at the end (no spoilers), but the movie fails to convince us of its premise.
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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6
Jim222001Apr 14, 2015
Now You See Me starts out interesting enough but it turns into more and more of an entertaining mess. The film is always is entertaining with a great cast but the twists and turns get more and more silly as it goes on. Everything done withNow You See Me starts out interesting enough but it turns into more and more of an entertaining mess. The film is always is entertaining with a great cast but the twists and turns get more and more silly as it goes on. Everything done with the Mark Ruffalo character makes no sense by the end I will just say.… Expand
0 of 4 users found this helpful04
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6
CineAutoctonoFeb 27, 2016
"Now You See Me " was a very good movie , a little loose but scenes of magic, are magnificent , including those of action , a great work of the cast, including Isla Fisher is beautiful as always, and finally a good movie , good scenes and"Now You See Me " was a very good movie , a little loose but scenes of magic, are magnificent , including those of action , a great work of the cast, including Isla Fisher is beautiful as always, and finally a good movie , good scenes and good work of the cast.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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6
BarneyOnMTFeb 17, 2016
WHAT I LIKED: It's fast paced, luxurious and well-scored cinema that offers bags of mystery and smiles. The characters are brought to life well with great acting, too. It's just indulgent and fun.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Overall, it's notWHAT I LIKED: It's fast paced, luxurious and well-scored cinema that offers bags of mystery and smiles. The characters are brought to life well with great acting, too. It's just indulgent and fun.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Overall, it's not particularly impactive because it flits about so much, one minute it's tense, another it's dull and stagnant or disengaging. Really, the flaw is the weak and changing plot that gets too little set-up in the first place.
VERDICT: 'Now you see me' is packed with good moments and mystery, but the plot lets it down.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
miccaelApr 22, 2019
First of all - the cast is amazing! But what the heck happened with the ending!? I did not like the post twist. Otherwise it was fun movie. Definitely not a bad time and most of my friends loved it. I am just ... liking it but nothing more
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
geewahJan 14, 2021
Entertaining enough, but this movie gets dragged down by trying to overcomplicate things, particularly the ending.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
atabeyordekciAug 18, 2021
An F.B.I. Agent and an Interpol Detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances, and reward their audiences with the money. (6)
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
AwesomeReviewerJun 4, 2013
“Now You See Me” is a enjoyable popcorn flick. However, it tends to be more flash than actual substance.The concept of the film is intriguing, but it isn’t done in an all too interesting way. It’s just a fast paced film that throws a lot of“Now You See Me” is a enjoyable popcorn flick. However, it tends to be more flash than actual substance.The concept of the film is intriguing, but it isn’t done in an all too interesting way. It’s just a fast paced film that throws a lot of stuff at you, but never truly lets you absorb what is happening. The magic show scenes are one of the highlights of the movie as it’s full of energy and the right amount of flash. My personal favorite moment is a fight/chase scene in the third act of the movie with Dave Franco. It’s shot well and has some really nice fight choreography.

My biggest gripe with the film is the cinematography and editing. The camera is always moving, either rotating around actors as they talk or around the scenery. It’s hard to focus and at times I became nauseated. Editing in the film is incredibly quick, which takes away from taking in some of these elaborate shots. On a positive note, it does get more tamed as the movie progresses mainly in the third act.

The cast is fine, but only two characters really stand out. Not that everyone else is giving a bad performance, but the characters they play lack substance or any really good one liners. The best characters are Woody Harrelson’s and Mark Ruffalo’s. Harrelson’s character has the best lines and the best moments. He’s funny, charismatic, and at the same time wise. Ruffalo’s character is the most developed and intriguing. He’s an FBI agent, who seems to have luck always against him and we can’t help, but cheer for him. The rest of the cast is either throw away, like Isla Fisher and Dave Franco, or interesting, but underdeveloped, like Jesse Eisenberg and Morgan Freeman.

Overall, “Now You See Me” is an enjoyable film that chooses flash over substance. Characters are mainly paper thin as they’re underdeveloped or pushed to the side aside from Ruffalo and Harrelson. The film has a nice soundtrack that gives it the right amount of energy. However, the dizzying camera work and rapid editing make it really hard to be absorbed into the story. I give it 2.5/5, an enjoyable film that doesn’t always engage with it’s high concept and original story.… Expand
0 of 6 users found this helpful06
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5
RolentoSep 26, 2013
The idea was pretty neat and some things were funny I guess, but this movie was bad. It was pretty much all a big buildup to a totally arbitrary plot twist, and that's one of the worst things I can think of in writing anything. The finalThe idea was pretty neat and some things were funny I guess, but this movie was bad. It was pretty much all a big buildup to a totally arbitrary plot twist, and that's one of the worst things I can think of in writing anything. The final resolution of the plot was... I don't know, it felt bland... as bland as the whole "Eye" (sub?)plot and the character of the detective which didn't make much sense in any of its doings in the plot. I would also dare say that it had little to do with magicians... but I guess I couldn't expect explaining tricks/making plausible ones while still making them really interesting from a mainstream movie, and I guess "magicians" played this way is fine too, but... meh. It was entertaining as a light-entertainment action movie I guess, but other than that it was all a big waste of a good basis for a plot and a good cast.… Expand
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5
Compi24Jun 2, 2013
It has its moments every so often and it does have a genuine sense of intrigue running throughout it, but "Now You See Me"s inferior character development and shoddy twists will ultimately leave you feeling cold.
0 of 6 users found this helpful06
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5
SwatiNov 25, 2013
Highly unrealistic and implausible. There were plenty of good enjoyable moments though, but I feel like if I hadn't watched it I wouldn't have missed much. Spend your time elsewhere on better movies, or read a book.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
worleyjamersJun 12, 2013
Now You See Me has it all, an interesting concept, a fantastic cast, cool magic tricks, stylish action sequences, and a car chase, basically anything you could want from a high(er) concept thriller, this film delivers. The third act is a bitNow You See Me has it all, an interesting concept, a fantastic cast, cool magic tricks, stylish action sequences, and a car chase, basically anything you could want from a high(er) concept thriller, this film delivers. The third act is a bit underwhelming, but that did not change how much fun I had with this film. With that said, Now You See Me is not as brilliant as it could have been or as smart as it thinks it is, but regardless, it is a lot of fun and I'd definitely recommend it.… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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5
mds03Jun 4, 2013
When I went to see this, my expectations were pretty high. A little too high though. Other than the fact that the movie had a few moments that bedazzled and amazed me, I found it to be cheesy and at times boring. In my opinion, this film wasWhen I went to see this, my expectations were pretty high. A little too high though. Other than the fact that the movie had a few moments that bedazzled and amazed me, I found it to be cheesy and at times boring. In my opinion, this film was worth the price of admission but it could have been worth way more.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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5
BrianMcCriticJun 4, 2013
A film about magic that is more about CGI. There is a strong cast that give good performances and the chemistry is the best part of the film. Finally the finale of the film doesn't work for me.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
CptPicardJun 1, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is not for someone who likes to think about the story during the movie, because of the fact that the story was kind of just summed up in short dialogue that moves on to more action sequences to be summed up again by dialogue. Also it seems like you are involved in this whole heist where actually you're not, The whole movie is kind of like the ending to an Oceans movie. Instead of having them talk over their plans they just go right into the heist and leave us out of it and making Morgan Freeman explain to us what just happened. They did have a plot twist at the end that no one saw coming though. There was very little parts to this twist though to make it seem awesome that that was the twist. The special effects were interesting though and there was a lot a of well known actors that were not used to their best ability. The movie kind of made most of them look like dicks.… Expand
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5
nairfaJun 7, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Upon seeing the trailer, I had a very high hope for the film. The show was very enjoyable until their third final act. Well, even I didn't guess who was the 5th horseman, it was very disappointing to end the film with the twist like this. They could've done better rather than give us a twist like the "Usual Suspects".… Expand
0 of 4 users found this helpful04
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5
AReviewsJun 15, 2013
I was expecting a lot of this movie, especially its premise which is different, it absolutely wasn't bad but it wasn't perfect, it had some boring scenes, and it was complicated but as a movie which I had high hopes and expectations, I wasI was expecting a lot of this movie, especially its premise which is different, it absolutely wasn't bad but it wasn't perfect, it had some boring scenes, and it was complicated but as a movie which I had high hopes and expectations, I was definitely without any question disappointed, on the other hand, the casting fits and the special effects are perfect.… Expand
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5
Sirbu-IulianJun 16, 2013
Not very convincing. You expect e grand finale but never comes.
Pretty lame characters for the great Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.
Overall is not a bad movie, but it isn't one that you will remember
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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5
IsaacR777Jun 29, 2013
The characters were bland and uninteresting. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine were the only interesting ones. The concept for this movie is great but could have been done better.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
chibistevoJul 7, 2013
Despite a well laid introduction and intriguing premise, Now You See Me stumbles going into its second act and never recovers the scope or direction required to live up to its grandiose attempt at cross genre crime-drama.

This is all downDespite a well laid introduction and intriguing premise, Now You See Me stumbles going into its second act and never recovers the scope or direction required to live up to its grandiose attempt at cross genre crime-drama.

This is all down to the simple fact that Now You See Me has a severe case of identity crisis. The general idea is a pick and mix of several "plot-twist based genres," including "Magicians" The Prestige, The Illusionist "Heist Movie" Oceans 11 "Deception" Usual Suspects, Saw The Departed) and general "Cat and Mouse" drama Catch Me if You Can ).

While this sounds like a recipe for brilliance, the end product throws too many ingredients in the pot for any single flavor to emerge even remotely tasteful, leaving the audience somewhat empty when the hum-drum reveal at the end does little to evoke surprise or awe.

The main problem is each of the films parts never lead to anything substantially satisfying. Remember what made The Illusionist so good? It was the fact the magic on display was all part of an underlying trick, and when Paul Giamatti his head back, and laughs at the brilliance of it all, so did the audience. NYSM would like to think it did the same thing, indeed, Morgan Freeman et al practically reinforce the point every ten minutes, that "everything in play is part of a much bigger illusion." Perhaps it is, but it's all thoroughly unconvincing. And when you ignore the motives and reason for all that takes place, the "magic" on display is either tiring, or beyond belief.

Also worthy of note is the complete lack of characterization. The combination of Harrelson and Eisenberg should have been a winner from the start, yet, they're barely given the screen time to save things, never mind a decent script. During the run up to release, I had to wonder why Emma Stone didn't join them. One reason could be she saw the script and didn't think there'd be much point with the way the magicians characters were handled.

Instead, the majority of the movie focuses on the FBI agent tracking everything down, and the rather fetching Interpol agent assisting him. Again, perhaps the idea around this, given the ending, was to further the film's sense of deception and illusion, but it still doesn't make up for about an hour's worth of boredom, and only helps the ending to be entirely unsatisfactory. In fact, a lot of the earlier actions of certain characters don't even make sense when you realize the truth.

Throw in a rather absurd car chase, and at the same time, predictable plot twist regarding said scene and you have a movie that doesn't even seem to be attempting cleverness anymore.

With that said, the film is entirely watchable when merely watched without anticipation. Just don't expect another Prestige or Illusionist.

When you come to the end reveal in such a movie, there's generally three reactions: there's the "Ahhh", the "Oh..." and the "Mehh.."

This film definitely only approaches "Oh."… Expand
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5
CGraham1101Jul 7, 2013
Ok, you have a movie with 'Social Networks,' breakthrough actor, Jesse Eisenberg, "you had my curiosity, but now, you have my attention." The movie, starts off interesting with a line of talented magicians teaming up. Then, after that, theOk, you have a movie with 'Social Networks,' breakthrough actor, Jesse Eisenberg, "you had my curiosity, but now, you have my attention." The movie, starts off interesting with a line of talented magicians teaming up. Then, after that, the movie just goes down hill. The movie, felt like it had no actual plot. I admit, there where times I was surprised, but the ending just ruined everything the movie was building up towards. Overall, 'Now You See Me,' was interesting, but not a memorable movie at all.… Expand
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5
JorgeKaramSep 20, 2013
This is a movie to entertain, Nothing else. Average writing, average performances, and an awful plot. Jesse Eisenberg giving an average performance or even lower. The same with James Franco, Mélanie Laurent and Isla Fisher. Woody HarrelsonThis is a movie to entertain, Nothing else. Average writing, average performances, and an awful plot. Jesse Eisenberg giving an average performance or even lower. The same with James Franco, Mélanie Laurent and Isla Fisher. Woody Harrelson and Morgan Freeman stepping up with a performance that save the film from being a total failure. I know, it was fun to watch but if you can analyze this film after watching it, its nothing more than a Louis Leterrier.… Expand
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5
yogeshsinghOct 13, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. expected a much better end....
Anyway i enjoyed movie, but i was expecting more.
I couldn't understand why these people done all that .
As long as they doesn't reveal the man it was a way better.
Suddenly everything spoiled… Expand
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5
DCEdmondsNov 13, 2014
"Now You See Me" 10 Scale Rating: 4.5 (Mediocre) ...

The Good: Great cast and interesting characters. The initial buildup is great and grabs your attention. The Bad: Becomes completely absurd and impossible. The film revolves a group of"Now You See Me" 10 Scale Rating: 4.5 (Mediocre) ...

The Good: Great cast and interesting characters. The initial buildup is great and grabs your attention.

The Bad: Becomes completely absurd and impossible. The film revolves a group of struggling magicians who apparently learn to become actual mages doing real magic ... or at least that is what I took from it as they pulled off trick after trick without any real explanation. The implausibility of the film ruins what could have been a decent idea.… Expand
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5
Blurb10Dec 10, 2014
Now You See Me - You're Better Off With Penn & Teller (Part 1)

It's to be expected that a film about magicians, directed by the man responsible for Transporter 2, Clash of the Titans and The Incredible Hulk, would require suspension ofNow You See Me - You're Better Off With Penn & Teller (Part 1)

It's to be expected that a film about magicians, directed by the man responsible for Transporter 2, Clash of the Titans and The Incredible Hulk, would require suspension of disbelief, but "Now You See Me" defies basic logic so brazenly and steps wrong so relentlessly, it's hard to imagine how anyone with a shred of intelligence would buy the nonsensical plot.
Mind you, the beginning is promising: the so-called protagonists are introduced one by one, as a hooded figure recruits them for a mysterious, epic task. We meet Jesse Eisenberg's J. Daniel Atlas, a young entrepreneur magician on the rise, staging a very elaborate card trick that involves an entire skyscraper to impress a girl into sleeping with him. There's Woody Harrelson's Merrit McKinney, a sardonic mentalist who dupes folks out of cash by utilizing hypnosis in a highly unethical fashion. Isla Fisher plays Henley Reeves, an ex-magician's assistant who now has her own show, escaping from a piranha-filled water tank. Last - and unfortunately least - Dave Franco's Jack Wilder barely gets any screen time as a thieving street trickster/escape artist/locksmith.
Though Eisenberg is particularly hard to believe as a smooth womanizer who has a history with Henley (his gawky physique and awkward intonations, suggesting both vulnerability and intelligence, felt much more natural in "The Social Network"), and Dave Franco's character is a blank slate (I can't get over how much he resembles his older brother, damn those Francos!), the set-up is compelling, and Woody steals the show with juicy one-liners. Then they are assembled, Avengers-style, in a seemingly abandoned apartment - and the ludicrousness factor skyrockets through the stratosphere.
To avoid revealing too much, I'll just list the highlights of what happens next. The magicians are given a task by the aforementioned mysterious recruiter that involves holographic blueprints (!), but the screen fades out before we find out what that task is. Fade in: now known as The Four Horsemen, J. Daniel, Henley, Merrit and Jack are putting on a grandiose Las Vegas performance, during which they allegedly rob a Swiss bank, then shower the audience with Euro bills.
Enter Mark Ruffalo's scruffy FBI agent Dylan Rhodes. "Now You See Me" reinforces the Century-old cinematic cliche of partnering an agent with a sidekick who's also a potential suspect, by having him partner with Mélanie Laurent's somewhat dubious - and bland - Interpol agent Alma Dray. You may recall that I referred to the protagonists as "so-called", and it's because at this point the film jarringly switches perspective and follows Rhodes' attempts to decipher the enigma behind The Four Horsemen, as they elude the law (the rationale behind it - that the FBI cannot arrest magicians because it would make it seem like the government believes in magic - is hysterical) and stage more outrageous magical heists. By the time the film's obligatory car chase sequence - filmed uber-conventionally - kicks in, any sense of realism has dissipated entirely.
Did I mention that Morgan Freeman pops up as magic debunker Thaddeus Bradley (credit to screenwriter Ed Solomon for the ostentatious character names) who may or may not be involved with The Four Horsemen, and who seems stoned and bemused throughout, as if he just stepped off the set of his own trippy TV series "Through the Wormhole"? Or that Michael Caine barely makes an impression as billionaire Arthur Tressler, who gets chained down on stage and assaulted by a ravenous crowd? Or that rapper Common plays a character called simply Evans, whose sole purpose is to be the center of a silly visual gag towards the end of the film? In my preview I mentioned that the main reason for my excitement was the stellar cast, one of the best assembled in a film so far this year, but Louis Leterrier manages to mishandle it with such aplomb, his film almost deserves attention solely for that reason.
Amongst the fundamental mistakes that the filmmakers have made, and there are many, a few are worth pointing out specifically. The first was to introduce us to interesting characters, then keep us out of the loop for the rest of the film, putting the focus instead on Rhodes' investigation. I'm a Ruffalo fan, especially in earlier films like "You Can Count On Me", but he's played his share of scruffy investigators ("Shutter Island", "Zodiac", "In the Cut"), and despite hamming it up intermittently, the actor turns in the blandest performance of his career so far. The second mistake was to structure the film as all build-up with no pay-off; Thaddeus constantly promises something in the vein of, "You ain't seen nothing yet!" - and then nothing spectacular happens! More money is rained on people, more fireworks, more outlandish heists with even more outlandish explanations…… Expand
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5
BeingNickDohNov 19, 2015
I didn't catch on until the near ending the major twist, so that made it good.

But after reading some of the other criticisms, I do see where a lot of errors in movie structure exist.. There is only a few seconds of character building, theI didn't catch on until the near ending the major twist, so that made it good.

But after reading some of the other criticisms, I do see where a lot of errors in movie structure exist.. There is only a few seconds of character building, the plot is very basic, and the characters are obvious stereotypes.

I give it a 5 because it is a family movie really, anyone can watch it and it isn't offensive, and it can be enjoyed for what it is... another illusionist movie.… Expand
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5
EpicLadySpongeMay 23, 2016
Now You See Me has great expectations, but it also has a stale mystery, it lacks a lot of thrill to it too, and the magic is sorta predictable after the first hour passes.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
Gamzguy17Aug 21, 2021
Upon first viewing this film, it manages to succeed at being an entertaining and funny commentary about the arts of magic, despite its clumsiness to telling the story. However, just like a real magic show, once we've learned all of theUpon first viewing this film, it manages to succeed at being an entertaining and funny commentary about the arts of magic, despite its clumsiness to telling the story. However, just like a real magic show, once we've learned all of the magician's secrets, it becomes completely pointless to ever see it again. Oh and don't get me started on that dang romance subplot that is shoehorned into this film. Hollywood at its most obvious.… Expand
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5
KJ_20Mar 23, 2022
Now You See Me is predictable, so predictable that it is just boring. Mixed along with a confusing plot and structure and you get a movie which only stands up due its engaging camera work, and nothing else.
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4
TokyochuchuAug 5, 2014
Now You See Me is a metaphor for itself. Everything is about misdirection. All the pomp, flash and promised reveals conspire to distract you from the fact that what you're actually watching is a vacuous, emotionally hollow, absurd movie withNow You See Me is a metaphor for itself. Everything is about misdirection. All the pomp, flash and promised reveals conspire to distract you from the fact that what you're actually watching is a vacuous, emotionally hollow, absurd movie with no real point or substance.… Expand
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4
Bruce722Sep 8, 2013
Now You See Me might have the most misleading trailers of all-time. The previews make you think that story follow the four magicians, played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco. However, the characters with theNow You See Me might have the most misleading trailers of all-time. The previews make you think that story follow the four magicians, played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco. However, the characters with the most screen time are actually an FBI agent played by Mark Ruffalo, an interpol agent played by Melanie Laurent, and a washed up magician played by Morgan Freeman. Guess what? I didn't know any of those actors were even in the movie. The movie also didn't seem to have an identity. It constantly jumped back and forth between magic not being real and then certain things not being possible without magic. This constant uncertainty from the film's perspective created a lazy feeling in the script. As for the individual characters, Woody was hilarious, Isla was absolutely gorgeous, and Eisenberg was, well, the same character he always is. Which reminds me, can we stop calling Jesse Eisenberg a great actor? The kid plays the exact same role every single time and that's who he is in real life. He isn't "acting", he's just playing himself in different situations. Back to the movie, it had decent plot development but with so many characters involved, none of them were really fleshed out properly. Lastly, it had the typical twist in the end that's become almost cliched where it wasn't written into the story well but just forced on the viewer. All-in-all, if you want to be mildly entertained with over-the-top magic tricks and a chaotic story and then toss in a romance for no reason, this is the movie for you.… Expand
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4
csw12Aug 25, 2013
A movie that starts promising and quickly fizzles into nothing. The real magicians are the people behind the film, which did a very good job at distracting you from shallow characters, a movie that had zero plot and making you think you sawA movie that starts promising and quickly fizzles into nothing. The real magicians are the people behind the film, which did a very good job at distracting you from shallow characters, a movie that had zero plot and making you think you saw something great.… Expand
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4
moonman1994Mar 13, 2014
Although certainly entertaining and with a great cast Now You See Me has a multitude of problems. One of the most notable is how generally dislikable many of the characters are (especially Ruffalo's character). Also the action sequences seemAlthough certainly entertaining and with a great cast Now You See Me has a multitude of problems. One of the most notable is how generally dislikable many of the characters are (especially Ruffalo's character). Also the action sequences seem a bit ridiculous considering that it's magicians that are being chased. Not to mention that the twist is idiotic and not all that surprising and it leads to an even less satisfying ending. That said the magic and heist scenes are well done and fun to watch.… Expand
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4
ceefrostyJun 5, 2013
Here's the deal, mind-bending movies like Inception and The Prestige have revealed an entirely new genre of film. Movies like "Now You See Me" attempt to reflect elements of that genre, and ultimately find themselves in a realm closer toHere's the deal, mind-bending movies like Inception and The Prestige have revealed an entirely new genre of film. Movies like "Now You See Me" attempt to reflect elements of that genre, and ultimately find themselves in a realm closer to "summer throwaway". The script is what really throws a wrench in the final cut of this film. Even high caliber actors such as Morgan Freeman and Michael Cain can't save this script from the sloppy mess that the writers left it in. Now, having said that, if you've seen Fast 6 and Star Trek, and you're still forcing yourself to go to the cinema, by all means spare your mind the stress of figuring out a plot and see this movie. Otherwise #skipit.… Expand
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4
ProjectGloomJun 9, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "Now You See Me" has one of the best movie concepts that I've seen in a while. Adding the idea of magicians and a heist is genius. However, the movie in itself was a mixed bag. The acting was weak in the movie, and Thaddeus was able to debunk the magic tricks way too quick. We get no debunking scenes where Thaddeus is breaking down the puzzle. Instead, he just walks up on stage and tells the FBI agent about every single step and operation. The magic performances were really interesting, we get to learn how the 4 horsemen "teleported" a man from Vegas to Paris in under 3 seconds. Definitely something that I was looking forward to. There were some good laughs in the movie placed here and there. But the part of the movie that made me so upset was the ending. Unlike most people, I disliked the plot twist. It was too unexpected. Not in the good way. We had no indication that the FBI agent was in "The Eye" and that he would turn on Thaddeus. In the end, it's not an awful movie, and it's very controversial. I say that you should give it a chance. Don't take my word for it. Everyone sees things differently.… Expand
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4
Kevbo85Sep 26, 2013
It frankly doesn't surprise me that this film has received more positive than negative feedback; it gives an audience almost everything the trailers and cast lead them to believe they'll get. Plenty of twists, turns, face time with noteworthyIt frankly doesn't surprise me that this film has received more positive than negative feedback; it gives an audience almost everything the trailers and cast lead them to believe they'll get. Plenty of twists, turns, face time with noteworthy actors and a story that doesn't force you to believe in magic in order to believe what's happening on screen. All that being said, there is a minority of viewers, myself included, who know they could have done much more with all the talent and potential lying within Now You See Me...or maybe they couldn't, and shouldn't have bothered to try.

I'm hesitant to say the movie is bad, because deep down it truly isn't. Everyone, from Woody Harrelson to Michael Caine and every name-drop in between does their job and fits in snug with what's going on. Somewhere between the intriguing first 20 minutes and the disappointing last hour or so, I kept asking myself, "why am I not enjoying this?" The answer? It could have been so much more.

Hasty references to the "why" of it all do nothing to satisfy the curiosity of the curious, and when the final credits rolled, I realized that this was the point all along. Even after the major reveal takes place and you finally understand the "how", the "why" never materializes. The introduction of the film makes that question the focal point, and the rest of the film does its best to make you forget you ever had the question in your head to begin with.

Again, I can understand the praise, but I felt as if left the theater having been cheated out of my money. Considering a couple of the main scenes in the film, perhaps this was the filmmakers' entire goal to begin with. It wouldn't surprise me in the least. Regardless, most people seemed to enjoy it, so there's no reason to bash it any further than by saying it simply wasn't what I wanted it to be. It happens sometimes.… Expand
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4
GoldenGreenSep 30, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I did have high hopes when I entered the cinema to see this movie; one of my friends had said it was 'amazing', and as I trusted his judgement, I thought I would see just how good it was. For the first 45 minutes or so, I was reasonably impressed. The bank heist I thought was igneous, and the way it had been explained to the audience well measured. The words of the characters 'this is only the beginning', or whatever it was, awoke my curiousity, and that attention was reasonably maintained until afterwards the New Orleans scene.

And then it fell to exactly the same fate that many other movies have done, and hence is the origin of my low scoring. It became unoriginal to the point of disgust, and for the last forty minutes (I know it was forty minutes because I was constantly checking my watch) I was thinking to myself "how could I have not seen before how utterly terrible this film is?". There were signs before that I ignored, dismissing them as one of a couple of cliches all modern films inevitably have. The most prominent is the female police character I have forgotten her name. Her character is perhaps the most uninteresting, cliched, predictable character type. From the moment she uttered her first lines, you know EXACTLY what her character is going to be like. On the exterior somewhat unimpressive, but supremely confident. Full of witty lines, becomes serious when she needs to be, tells emotional stories that have some 'hidden meaning', and of course she and the investigator (again, I forgotten the name, I'll call him X) have a relationship. After all of my expectations were fulfilled, I became so disgusted with this movie. It actually truly confuses me these directors, filmmakers, actors, producers, have all seen more movies than I, and would surely know how to construct a good movie. WHY would you have her conform to every cliche in the book? Surely, after viewing it, you know how retch-inducing it? Maybe someday I'll know. To bring this into some perspective, the exact same thing happened in The Dark Knight Rises, with the character of Cat woman, and is the one of the reasons I detest that movie as well. Contrastingly, The Dark Knight is one of my favourite films of all time. It just goes to show what difference originality makes in the making of a film. Or if not complete originality, not complete cliched material.

That character epitomises many of the similar things wrong with this movie the annoyingly 'witty' dialog between the mentalist and Jesse Eisenberg, the unintelligent lines of X, the lame plot involving the Magic Circle or whatever its called, with the dusty old book, and finally the ending. Perhaps the reason why this ending is without doubt, the worst I have ever seen, is that it tears the entire film apart. Looking back at all the action, not one line, or event, even makes sense, as it turns out the policeman is actually the one helping them? What? The film just self-destructs for this very reason. Again, I shall provide some perspective. After watching NYSM, I watched Ocean's Eleven and the difference was laughable. It's not just the sophistication, the characterisation of the latter, but the ending. The ending of Ocean's Eleven is clever, the rest of the film works perfectly, and you marvel in the ingenuity of the heist. By contrast, Ocean's Twelve self-destructs in a similar way to this film the last five minutes just renders the previous hour watched absolutely useless. It makes the audience feels like they've been tricked no, it does not make one marvel.

I did give this a 4, and the actual method of the heist (especially the last and first one) are reasonably ingenious, meriting some score. But what promise this movie did have was primarily destroyed as some many films are nowadays, by the loss of originality and the way in which everything it in characters, events, dialogue is cliched and predictable.… Expand
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4
ManasWWMNov 30, 2013
Given the characters in it,I kind of expected more from this one.Over-exaggeration,inflation,underestimating the IQ of viewers are some of the biggest mistakes of this movie.They tired pulling out The prestige and Italian Job in this one andGiven the characters in it,I kind of expected more from this one.Over-exaggeration,inflation,underestimating the IQ of viewers are some of the biggest mistakes of this movie.They tired pulling out The prestige and Italian Job in this one and just got stuck on The Cabin in the Woods i.e Insanity.Some scenes just make you feel "are the police and other guys so dumb!"I am giving a 4 just for the crew..out of which 3 are for Morgan Freeman… Expand
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4
Sharkyx1Feb 19, 2014
Entirely subpar in every aspect. The story is a weak heist meets Robin Hood, meets magic mix, and the magic is meant to be illusions. The plot annoyingly relies on shear luck to get through any situations, although the 8/10 cast, try as theyEntirely subpar in every aspect. The story is a weak heist meets Robin Hood, meets magic mix, and the magic is meant to be illusions. The plot annoyingly relies on shear luck to get through any situations, although the 8/10 cast, try as they might cant bring this movie up from its score,

4/10 its a little below average, due to the twist that makes most of the story pointless and uninteresting story throughout.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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4
Apartment64Jul 5, 2014
"Now You See Me" is a decent summer blockbuster until the final act which is just so plainly stupid I don't think I could ever describe it and stay polite at the same time. And also: bad CGI during the magic trick sequences? I'm speechless.
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4
BootsyFeverNov 21, 2019
Why after 6 years and bloody 10 viewings do I keep watching Now You See Me? I don’t like the disorientating path of the story, I don’t like the chemistry between characters mainly because I don’t like the characters, and I really don’t likeWhy after 6 years and bloody 10 viewings do I keep watching Now You See Me? I don’t like the disorientating path of the story, I don’t like the chemistry between characters mainly because I don’t like the characters, and I really don’t like how a group of actors that I personally enjoy are used as mouth pieces for some very corny dialogue. You probably think the movie is simple enough, so why do I think it’s disorientating? Think about it? In one of the opening scenes we see the Four Horseman performing onstage for the first time. The performance involves using “magic” to transport an audience member from Las Vegas to a bank safe in France, your engaged in the trickery, enjoying the performance, then all of a sudden were in New Orleans, reset were moving on. I need time to breathe, I would have been suffocated if it weren’t for Morgan Freeman speaking to the FBI agents explaining how the trick was done, which, by the way, might be the best parts of the film. It’s a very wordy way of lifting the veil on how a trick is done but at least you’re never left in the dark. Throughout I always felt rushed, not because the scenes were overly short, but when the movie did settle, for nonsensical love scenes for example, it would speed through the character arks all to get to this heavily computer generated set piece.
Another thing I found frustrating is how this film has the Harlem Globetrotters of casts and makes them all feel like first year drama students. And don’t get me started on Isla Fischer who felt like she was acting at gunpoint the whole time and Melanie Laurent, of Inglorious Bastards fame, who was inexplicably awkward alongside Ruffalo. So here comes the hypocrisy. Why do I keep coming back for more? I honestly think it comes down to one simple reason. I really like the concept and the movie did enough right that I can almost see its full potential. I like how they use the motif of magic and turn it into a politically motivated heist movie. There is fight scenes were playing cards are thrown and magical fire balls are flung, and maybe the pace of the movie is disorientating but it’s also never boring. I think I keep watching because I know what the movie can be; I love Jesse Eisenburg and Dave Franco is an incredible talent. So when you thrust these performers into this world I can’t but think what might have been. Now You See Me is a movie you should watch, watch even more than once, but that doesn’t mean I like the movie.… Expand
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3
JoradJul 4, 2013
I guess where this film fails the most is that despite it being a film about magic, I didn't really feel any sense of wonder or disbelief. Nothing about this film was captivating which is a real shame because the premise is a very cool one.I guess where this film fails the most is that despite it being a film about magic, I didn't really feel any sense of wonder or disbelief. Nothing about this film was captivating which is a real shame because the premise is a very cool one. It's just a case of really mediocre execution. To the film's credit there were some really quite nice camera sequences and the twist at the end, whilst not entirely unpredictable considering the nature of the film was a very good one but the film as a whole felt so empty and unsatisfying. The characters are probably the worst part of the film. The main 4 characters were some of the blandest main characters I've seen in a long time and I felt like I couldn't connect with them at all. They felt so stock, the kind of characters a 13 year old would try to come up with. The film also tries to be clever in the way it executes a number of things but it just falls short completely. Personally the worst thing a film can be for me is boring and unsatisfying which is what this film was for me. There's a few positive factors but overall the film just felt like a waste of time and money.… Expand
2 of 4 users found this helpful22
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3
adverbMay 4, 2014
Given the movie's cast and word of mouth, I was expecting a lot more than I got. Not a total waste of time--the two female leads are gorgeous--but not far from it, either.
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3
trujustinJun 4, 2013
"Now You See Me" was itself a type of magic trick. Louis Leterrier uses a great cast with the premise of magic and bank robbery to draw us in. Unfortunately it doesn't take long to realize that instead of character development we get Morgan"Now You See Me" was itself a type of magic trick. Louis Leterrier uses a great cast with the premise of magic and bank robbery to draw us in. Unfortunately it doesn't take long to realize that instead of character development we get Morgan Freeman explaining the plot after the fact. At no point did I find myself wondering "how is this going to turn out?" The magic has little excitement because we know that using CGI, anything is possible. Add that to the fact that the "big reveal" is exactly what you would expect and you end up with the feeling that the trick was on you.… Expand
8 of 12 users found this helpful84
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3
foxgroveJul 4, 2013
There is actually the seed of a good idea here, but the confused execution lets it down. An interesting cast helps and the film is lively enough, but it is all smoke and mirrors. Red herrings abound and there is a surprise revelation at theThere is actually the seed of a good idea here, but the confused execution lets it down. An interesting cast helps and the film is lively enough, but it is all smoke and mirrors. Red herrings abound and there is a surprise revelation at the end, but the improbable premise cannot withstand any serious analysis. An Insistent, almost 70'ish, music score and swirling camera movements try to elevate proceedings to a higher and slicker plane that the material just doesn't deserve. Morgan Freeman redeems himself after his nothing turn in oblivion and some of the editing helps things along.… Expand
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
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3
XanderczJul 21, 2013
Visually appealing movie that is brought down by the very stupid and unbelievable twists that really stretch the suspension of disbelief. Heavy reliance on CGI when trying to show "magic" which breaks the illusion that the Four Horsemen areVisually appealing movie that is brought down by the very stupid and unbelievable twists that really stretch the suspension of disbelief. Heavy reliance on CGI when trying to show "magic" which breaks the illusion that the Four Horsemen are only illusionists. Add to that a pretty pointless and shoehorned romance subplot and you get Now You See Me.… Expand
7 of 8 users found this helpful71
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3
chadg_77Jul 23, 2013
This movie is not good. The preview is twice the production the movie is. There is no character building, and you are instantly thrust into this story that does not pan out. Do not waste your time.
5 of 5 users found this helpful50
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3
GingerFuryAug 21, 2013
"All flash and no trousers" A weird saying, but who's Father isn't full of oddness? Mine certainly was and he used this expression regularly when something was, basically, bollocks. Now You See Me falls in to this category. Cool cast,"All flash and no trousers" A weird saying, but who's Father isn't full of oddness? Mine certainly was and he used this expression regularly when something was, basically, bollocks. Now You See Me falls in to this category. Cool cast, flashy effects, great locations, mixed with a predictable story line, average script and some truly wooden performances Dave Franco, I'm looking at you.

It's mindless entertainment for the masses. Avoid paying cinema ticket price, perhaps watch for free when it hits your PTV provider; provided you are fully up to date with your TV series viewing....… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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3
PunkmailAug 23, 2013
If only this movie would've disappeared in front of my eyes. The only magic thing about this is how people are going to give their money to this crap.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
is_isSep 7, 2013
Wanna see a magic trick that's only possible via computer graphics? Suffer through Now You See Me. The music and sweeping camera does all it can to make you care, but since little time is spent developing the four horsemen characters, youWanna see a magic trick that's only possible via computer graphics? Suffer through Now You See Me. The music and sweeping camera does all it can to make you care, but since little time is spent developing the four horsemen characters, you really can't be bothered. This movie will drag you around back and fourth in an attempt to throw you off, but when the big reveal comes, all you can think about is how meaningless it turned out to be.

Also, what the heck is with all the occult references that turn out to be meaningless. Randomly chosen tarot cards, weird uneducated references to the eye of horus, four horsemen? It's like they pulled this stuff out of a hat and stuck them in the script to create a cheap sense of mystery.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
joao1198pedroOct 16, 2013
this movie had great actors that I'm a fan and an interesting plot about magic, but the movie is very boring and is full of things quite annoying part until the end was good but the tail end collapsed the entire movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
ScrawnyPunkJun 14, 2013
This was one of my worst movie experiences in the past ten years: terribly derivative, intellectually insulting, and a complete waste of time. The sequence of events are too convenient for a heist movie, so the magic element had to be thrownThis was one of my worst movie experiences in the past ten years: terribly derivative, intellectually insulting, and a complete waste of time. The sequence of events are too convenient for a heist movie, so the magic element had to be thrown in. However, the magic show scenes are too boring, and the interplay between the characters is too dull to be a magic movie...so some heist element had to be thrown in. This was my general take it is neither one nor the other, nor good enough to be either.

The bright spots in the movie are Dave Franco and Mélanie Laurent (Shosanna from Inglourious Basterds), the only two actors given real characters and a chance to turn in decent performances. Everyone else plays a smug version of themselves.

Any specific complaint about the movie would include spoilers, so here are some surface-level observations:
Acting mediocre, with hints of terrible by Mark Ruffalo.
Plot much more convenient than clever, with "magic" used to explain away impossible plot points.
Dialog snarky and witty (excluding Ruffalo's character), but so much so that there are no real characters, just one-liner automatons.
Plot twists there are no real plot twists...if you think "what is the most ridiculous thing that can happen in this situation," that is exactly what will happen.
The ending I almost threw up in my empty pop-corn box. Saccharine doesn't come close to describing it.
Overall philosophy Magic exists? Insurance companies are evil? Revenge is sweet? Love pops up in the strangest places?… Expand
13 of 16 users found this helpful133
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2
LaGuertaApr 29, 2014
Like hairography, camera movement is relentless to disguise the lack of innovation and originality beneath it. It features dialogue which serves only to further stereotypes and drag plot in a direction slightly resembling forwards. Were I aLike hairography, camera movement is relentless to disguise the lack of innovation and originality beneath it. It features dialogue which serves only to further stereotypes and drag plot in a direction slightly resembling forwards. Were I a magician, I would make this film disappear. I am not, so it remains.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
SEROJJul 3, 2013
This is one of the worst movies i've ever seen! I'm not going to add anything. Watch it if you want, but i don't recommend it. My score is 2/10 ,without no doubt
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
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2
MattyJMAug 25, 2013
Terrible Movie however it's weirdly entertaining.
What was the whole point in the movie? (spoiler alert)
Mark Ruffalo spent 30 years working his way up in the FBI to exact revenge on some people who were in no way responsible for the deathTerrible Movie however it's weirdly entertaining.
What was the whole point in the movie? (spoiler alert)
Mark Ruffalo spent 30 years working his way up in the FBI to exact revenge on some people who were in no way responsible for the death of his father. Is it just me that thinks it stupid that mark ruffalo wants to put Morgan Freeman in prison for simple telling people how his dad did a magic trick, how all of Micheal Cains money is stolen because he didn't pay out on an insurance claim and how they stole half a billion dollars because the company made a safe below standard?
And as for the ending……
So mark ruffalo was part of 'the eye' and the four horsemen for no apparent reason put themselves into the public eye as wanted criminals to become part of a secret society. The four horseman have given up their whole lives to help Mark Ruffalo for no reason at all apart from being initiated into a secret society, again which they will gain nothing from.
So in conclusion: incredibly far-fetched and far to complicated for no reason, there was no character development and in my opinion one of the worst and most pointless movies i have seen in years….… Expand
6 of 8 users found this helpful62
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2
JoseloSep 21, 2013
Una historia que se esforzó demasiado por ser más inteligente de lo que realmente es. Presentándonos la mayor cantidad de cliché que pueden existir en un libreto. Que tratan de robar nuestro aliento llevándose un bostezo. No me pareció algoUna historia que se esforzó demasiado por ser más inteligente de lo que realmente es. Presentándonos la mayor cantidad de cliché que pueden existir en un libreto. Que tratan de robar nuestro aliento llevándose un bostezo. No me pareció algo fuera de lo normal, más bien me pareció una película que se puede ver en la comodidad del hogar. Aclarando que sin una bolsa de popcorn lo que mencioné anteriormente es debatible. Es más impresionante ver un espectáculo de magos en vivo, que un espectáculo de magos en una película donde todo es posible. ¿Por qué me tiene que impresionar un grupo de magos que gozan de toda la magia del cine a su favor?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
Spider1775Dec 24, 2013
I rarely see bad movies in theaters, I rarely do, but I was forced to watch this, THIS, due to a theater that was so poor on selection, I only picked it because it was the best movie I could think and wasn't a sequel. Oh God, why didn't II rarely see bad movies in theaters, I rarely do, but I was forced to watch this, THIS, due to a theater that was so poor on selection, I only picked it because it was the best movie I could think and wasn't a sequel. Oh God, why didn't I just swallow up my idea of watching all movies before sequels and watch like Fast and Furious 5 or 6, because this is the worst I've seen this year, I know it's probably not the worst of the year for most, but since I don't see many bad ones, this is. This movie manages to somehow suck away all of the talent of it's (admittedly charming) cast, and makes them all either repeating a movie they've already been in (Mark Ruffalo) or just sucks away any of their charm or wit (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson). It's horribly structured, poorly edited, and clumsily executed, however, the biggest error in this disaster heist movie is that it never, NEVER EVER EVER EVER, EXPLAINS WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING, You will constantly be wondering about plot motivations, character motivations, how someone is still alive, how a plan worked, why in the hell would anyone do this, what sense does that make, why, OH WHY, can't these people just sit down, and talk about exposition that we need, not exposition that we don't, somehow, it has a talent of having too MUCH plot, or NO plot at all. This movie is a statistical anomaly, and not in the good way, so just stay away, what ever you do, just stay far away from this film which will bring questions to your head, and not of the thought-provoking kind… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
BorgorosApr 10, 2018
Nothing gives meaning, everyone see themselves as perfect "gods", over the top music, dull story. Dumb and shallow all the way.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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2
annbdJul 25, 2018
That is what you call 'unlikable' characters. Plus they all acted with some out-of-space arrogance, that were all the way of the movie. And I actually don't know how they all did that, I mean did the director told them to act like rebel-teensThat is what you call 'unlikable' characters. Plus they all acted with some out-of-space arrogance, that were all the way of the movie. And I actually don't know how they all did that, I mean did the director told them to act like rebel-teens who think they are the best? However the whole movie was a disaster. It wasn't interesting at all. Even the voice of Morgan Freeman couldn't save it. It was like a cheap movie - not a little money is invested, but some visuals can't replace screenplay (dialogues.. so poor), one good actor can't compensate 5 fools, who can't act at all and so on.. And no point in the movie, no meaning. Crap.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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1
MorriBeySep 15, 2013
Horrid. Its ccomes across as an arrogant movie which one is supposed to suspend all belief in order to enjoy it. May be find for cult members but the general public dont buy it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
poetreviewerJun 9, 2013
This movie relies on every cliche used in movies and bad writing. Can Isla Fisher actually act? The only movie she was remotely good in was The Wedding Crashers. Woody Harrelson's acting is always great and consistent as is Mark Ruffalo'sThis movie relies on every cliche used in movies and bad writing. Can Isla Fisher actually act? The only movie she was remotely good in was The Wedding Crashers. Woody Harrelson's acting is always great and consistent as is Mark Ruffalo's but in this case, the writing was so awful nothing could help it. Yuck blech. At first I thought the movie was a metaphor for the awful Obama administration, but then it digressed into another "hate the rich guy and the little guy gets screwed" movie and needs to have his revenge. Not much of a surprise. Bring a pillow if you want to snooze.

Based on reviews of critics here, I wish I had given the Great Gatsby a TEN in retrospect.… Expand
4 of 8 users found this helpful44
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1
puddingpiepoperOct 11, 2013
This was an absolute awful movie, I know what they tried to do but my god could any movie fall any shorter from the mark, the CGI was garbage, the "Magic tricks" was just a bunch of mombo jumbo. I wish i never rented it...
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
greygooseOct 31, 2013
You will not get the time you spend watching this movie back. I just feel bad that Morgan Freeman spent even more of it to make this slick looking, but stupid, stupid movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
thethethethetheJun 15, 2013
WAY too hard to follow
very confusing and unbeleivable
it could have been made much better if it was less technicale and understandable now i did go with a girl and was paying attetntion to her also but neither of us understood it andWAY too hard to follow
very confusing and unbeleivable
it could have been made much better if it was less technicale and understandable

now i did go with a girl and was paying attetntion to her also but neither of us understood it and our too friends that went

i would not recomend this movie… Expand
3 of 6 users found this helpful33
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1
charleskiAug 22, 2013
Relies far too much on unconvincing 'magic'. The producers pushed the boat out too far, filling the movie with a collection of tricks that would have required extensive setup in reality, but appear out of thin air. As a result, the mainRelies far too much on unconvincing 'magic'. The producers pushed the boat out too far, filling the movie with a collection of tricks that would have required extensive setup in reality, but appear out of thin air. As a result, the main characters come across as little more than a bunch of talentless, arrogant twits coasting through a CGI playground. Tedious, boring, and ultimately far too obvious.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
ehserAug 25, 2013
First, I was excited because I like magic and I like bank heists. But then it all came down in a big crumble. There is no character development throughout the movie. There was no real good guys or real bad guys, which made is very subtile andFirst, I was excited because I like magic and I like bank heists. But then it all came down in a big crumble. There is no character development throughout the movie. There was no real good guys or real bad guys, which made is very subtile and took the suspense out completely. Nothing more Tuesday night lullaby.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
sporlockSep 8, 2013
Horrible! This movie is the turd in the spiked punch bowel. Excellent cast, interesting subject that somehow managed to thoroughly and completely jump the shark! They did a pretty good of building anticipation that SOMETHING interesting wasHorrible! This movie is the turd in the spiked punch bowel. Excellent cast, interesting subject that somehow managed to thoroughly and completely jump the shark! They did a pretty good of building anticipation that SOMETHING interesting was coming....just stick with us...we know the movie doesn't make a whole lot of sense yet, but SOMETHING is going to happen just hang in there......That something didn't help the movie make anymore sense, served to make everyone in the room stop the movie and stay...HUH???? WHY??

It completely jumped the shark and made the entire movie pointless. It's like they threw the plot lines into a hat, shook them up and reached and and grabbed 3 and said OK, THAT'S THE MOVIE! We will dazzle them with shock and awe, nobody will care about the plot! It didn't work in Iraq, and it doesn't work for this movie. Simply horrid. Stay far far away, it will only serve to piss you off trying to figure out how this ever made sense to anyone not high on dope.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
XiaojueDec 13, 2013
Really hated this movie. It's been months since I've seen it, but whilst browsing youtube I was reminded of this piece of turd and feel the need to vent. I've never been to a movie and felt so awful after walking out. Even my friend who wasReally hated this movie. It's been months since I've seen it, but whilst browsing youtube I was reminded of this piece of turd and feel the need to vent. I've never been to a movie and felt so awful after walking out. Even my friend who was super excited to see this film looked at me in the middle of the climax and said "this is really bad". I hated the characters. They were slick and arrogant, con men and thieves but of course they turn out to have hearts of gold and help people get back at evil corporations. The motivation for the main character is so laughably weak I'm left wondering if this movie is suppose to be a satire of bad action movies. The characters were really bland and the plot is super predictable. Although I have to admit I didn't see the plot twist coming, but that's because despite how bad the movie was I didn't think it was going to be that bad. However, The brilliant film makers proved me wrong and overturned whatever little they established in the movie and quickly crammed a whole new back story/character motivation in the final five minutes. I honestly can't say I'm surprised either, I was in such an emotional limbo I couldn't bring myself to care.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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0
MikefromAngusOct 13, 2013
Intellectually insulting, The story felt like it was written as they were shooting the movie! as did the twists and turns. I couldn't believe people are rating this movie so high!
6 of 8 users found this helpful62
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0
BobboJul 9, 2014
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Oh how convenient, the "inside guy" was running the whole investigation the entire time. Yeah you really tricked the audience there, haha that was a great trick. And Morgan Freeman finally gets stumped by the tricky plot, so no freckle this time.… Expand
1 of 6 users found this helpful15
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0
R3VEIWRNov 2, 2013
One of the worst movies I have seen this year, two hours of my life that I will never get back. The entire cast just did this film for a paycheck. The real magic trick was taking my money.
1 of 23 users found this helpful122
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0
SKELETOR420Aug 25, 2013
This is possibly the worst film i've ever seen, and i'm not saying that lightly. I cannot understand these positive reviews other than they're mentally deficient or paid to do so.

Basically the plot is a poorly executed mess. The filmThis is possibly the worst film i've ever seen, and i'm not saying that lightly. I cannot understand these positive reviews other than they're mentally deficient or paid to do so.

Basically the plot is a poorly executed mess. The film itself lies to the audience, so when the lame twists happen they just feel like the writers trying to get back on course. It's like a script that's not gone through so much as one revised draft.

The only way to explain the cast, budget, etc. is that the film simply fell apart in production. Perhaps the emphasis was put on all the wrong aspects.

If you like this... I can't respect you. It's wholly broken. I'd sooner watch Human Centipede, Battleship or a rom com.… Expand
12 of 16 users found this helpful124
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0
lismis7000May 31, 2013
this the worst movies I have seen so far this year, you would think with a cast like this. it would be good, but it wasn't. this was two hour of my life that I will never get back The entire cast should find new agents. They are all talentedthis the worst movies I have seen so far this year, you would think with a cast like this. it would be good, but it wasn't. this was two hour of my life that I will never get back The entire cast should find new agents. They are all talented enough not to waste their time on stuff like this A bank getting robbed in this movie, I got robbed. The thing you don't see coming sitting through and getting nothing in return. I would rather sit through a boring Las Vegas magic show. No you me telling every disappear yourselves from this one. If it on for the bad movies like this, you could not appreciate the good one.… Expand
10 of 27 users found this helpful1017
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0
f_now_u_see_meFeb 6, 2023
this is by far the worst movie i have ever seen. the end twist is so **** stupid, this man was acting like an officer, killed a man and acted serious not like he knew that he'd be safe and we had moments where he was alone and acted as histhis is by far the worst movie i have ever seen. the end twist is so **** stupid, this man was acting like an officer, killed a man and acted serious not like he knew that he'd be safe and we had moments where he was alone and acted as his character. the four horseman didn't say or even mention anything about jack dying. the start was great and super flashy but then it just got so predictable. the cast was awesome but the writers were just a bunch of **** toddlers who saw one magic show and said yea lets make a movie, and proceeded to make the worst **** ever, i'm not checking the box that says if it has spoilers because if anyone was to ever look at these reviews to tell if its good, even tho this is **** metacritic, i made an account just to write this review. besides every plot twist is so dumb and doesn't have even the slightest foreshadowing. this is worse than morbius, amazing bulk, any hallmark movie or velma. this movie gave me cancer and i'm now in a hospital bed… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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