Now You See Me 2
Release Date: 2nd June 2016 - Australia
Production Companies
Summit Entertainment
K/O Paper Products
Lionsgate
TIK Films
Distribution
eOne
Genre: Thriller
Rating: M
Runtime: 124 minutes
Budget: $90,000,000
Box Office Gross: $334,901,337
(Worldwide)
Plot Summary
The Four Horsemen return for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights in an adventure that takes them around the globe. One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public adulation with their Robin Hood-style Magic spectacles, the illusionists resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry, a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.
Cast
Jesse Eisenberg - J. Daniel
Atlas
Daniel Radcliffe - Walter Mabry
Daniel Radcliffe - Walter Mabry
Mark Ruffalo - Dylan Rhodes
Woody Harrelson - Merritt/
Chase McKinney
Lizzy Caplan - Lula
Dave Franco - Jack Wilder
Morgan Freeman -
Thaddeus Bradley
Michael Caine - Arthur Tressler
Jay Chou - Li
Tsai Chin - Bu Bu
Sanaa Lathan - Deputy Dir.
Jay Chou - Li
Tsai Chin - Bu Bu
Sanaa Lathan - Deputy Dir.
Natalie Austin
David Warshofsky - Agent Cowan
Henry Lloyd-Hughes - Allen
Scott-Frank
Brick Patrick - Chase McKinney
Zach Gerard - Hannes Pike
Ben Lamb - Owen Case
David Warshofsky - Agent CowanHenry Lloyd-Hughes - Allen
Scott-Frank
Brick Patrick - Chase McKinney
Zach Gerard - Hannes Pike
Ben Lamb - Owen Case
Crew
Director - Jon M. Chu
Based on Characters - Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt
Story/Screenplay/Executive Producer - Ed Soloman
Story - Peter Chiarelli
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Kevin De La Noy
Executive Producers - Louis Leterrier and Qiuyin Long
Producers - Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Bobby Cohen
Co-Producer - David Copperfield
Creative Consultant - Ric Edgell
Co-Producer - David Copperfield
Creative Consultant - Ric Edgell
Casting Directors - Deborah Aquila and Tricia Wood
Chief Consultant: Magic and Mentalism - Keith Barry
Production Designer - Sharon Seymour
Supervising Art Director - Stuart Kearns
Supervising Art Director - Stuart Kearns
Art Directors - Stephan Dobric,
Martin Foley, Dominic Masters,
Stephen Swain and Remo Tozzi
Martin Foley, Dominic Masters,
Stephen Swain and Remo Tozzi
Costume Designer - Anna B. Shepard
Hair/Makeup/Prosthetics Designer - Frances Hannon
Hair/Makeup/Prosthetics Designer - Frances Hannon
Director of Photography - Peter Deming
Stunt/Fight Coordinator - Mark Mottram
Special Effects Supervisor - Stephen Hutchinson
Stunt/Fight Coordinator - Mark Mottram
Special Effects Supervisor - Stephen Hutchinson
Visual Effects Supervisor - Matt Johnson
Film Editor - Stan Salfas
Music Supervisor - Randall Poster
Music - Brian Tyler
Review
Magical, thrilling and deceptive are ways to describe 'NOW YOU SEE ME 2' and the original movie (click here). However, the sequel is a bit more confusing and suffers from trying to surpass the surprises of the first film. It was at this moment that 'NOW YOU SEE ME 2' was taking too many risks in adding more complexity and implausibility to the plot with the use of stage magic. Director Jon M. Chu is certainly not taking this too seriously in adding the drums to the sequel of this 'Ocean's Eleven' styled heist adventure thriller that is compared to Louis Leterrier's flashy and theatrical interpretation of its predecessor.
Many actors from the original have returned to be in the top-notch ensemble cast with the exception of Isla Fisher who was absent and never came back for the female lead role. Lizzy Caplan fills in the part left by Fisher to be the female member of the four horsemen only that she brings a lot of sass and energy into her role. If you recall what I said on my critique of the first movie when I stated that Cillian Murphy or Jim Sturgess would have been suited to be one of the four illusionists than Eisenberg. I have now changed my opinion about him being the uninteresting choice. It is because he is extremely witty in both movies when performing this natural born role as the lead magician. Woody Harrelson not only returns to portray one of the four horseman, but plays the character's twin brother in a dual role made especially for him.
In the addition to co-star with the leading actors aside from Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe is no longer the titular hero that we know him as Harry Potter and instead plays a crucial key role as one of the baddies who were out to expose the Horsemen and their activities. His performance is just a maniacal sheer pack of menace and nothing can prevent the actor's future after his success with the 'Harry Potter' series.
I always thought that 'NOW YOU SEE ME 2' was in this case, better than the original in more ways that you could imagine. The plot and execution could have used some work, if it did not involve a certain area of confusion. Overall, 'NOW YOU SEE ME 2' is nowhere near as good as the original and people should see it, if they liked the original.
Many actors from the original have returned to be in the top-notch ensemble cast with the exception of Isla Fisher who was absent and never came back for the female lead role. Lizzy Caplan fills in the part left by Fisher to be the female member of the four horsemen only that she brings a lot of sass and energy into her role. If you recall what I said on my critique of the first movie when I stated that Cillian Murphy or Jim Sturgess would have been suited to be one of the four illusionists than Eisenberg. I have now changed my opinion about him being the uninteresting choice. It is because he is extremely witty in both movies when performing this natural born role as the lead magician. Woody Harrelson not only returns to portray one of the four horseman, but plays the character's twin brother in a dual role made especially for him.
In the addition to co-star with the leading actors aside from Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe is no longer the titular hero that we know him as Harry Potter and instead plays a crucial key role as one of the baddies who were out to expose the Horsemen and their activities. His performance is just a maniacal sheer pack of menace and nothing can prevent the actor's future after his success with the 'Harry Potter' series.
I always thought that 'NOW YOU SEE ME 2' was in this case, better than the original in more ways that you could imagine. The plot and execution could have used some work, if it did not involve a certain area of confusion. Overall, 'NOW YOU SEE ME 2' is nowhere near as good as the original and people should see it, if they liked the original.
Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie
No comments:
Post a Comment