Now You See Me 
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent, Michael Caine, Common
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 115 mins.
Genre: Crime/ Thriller
Opens May 31st
By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com
Hey Phoenix Film Fans! If you missed the sneak peak we had at this year's festival, you now have a second chance to see the "magician film". Opening this weekend is the crime/ thriller "Now You See Me" starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Mark Ruffalo. Can this film capture some of that bygone era movie magic that seems to be lost among the sequels, prequels and remakes that saturated the Box Office today? Read on to find out...
The world of magic is an interesting business; things are never what they seem. As street magician, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) never found the success he was looking for until he and 3 other magicians were recruited for entrance into The Eye, what is considered the secret societies of magicians. Think of it like the Freemasons or the Illuminati of the world of magic. Fellow recruits include female magician and ex-assistant to Atlas, Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) and street con man Jack Wilder (Dave Franco). Together they have to pull off the biggest illusion known to man - robbing a bank during a live show.
One year later they get their chance. While headlining at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, now performing under the stage name 4 Horsemen, the magicians are under close scrutiny from ex-magician/ conspiracy debunker, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), trying to prove that this "stunt" really never happened.
Not only did it got off without a hitch, the F.B.I. and Interpol are now investigating the show as a crime. During the time of their show, a bank in France was actually robbed, leaving evidence pointing to the 4 Horsemen for the crime. F.B.I. Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is assigned to the case, along with Interpol Agent Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent) who now must try to figure out how the magician pulled off the heist without any actual evidence to base it on. Can Agent Rhodes and Agent Dray prove that the 4 Horsemen are guilty or is it a just an illusion to mask the true robber's identity?
"Now You See Me" is one of the most clever heist movies in recent memory. Everything, from the writing, clever dialogue delivery, smart transitions, to the special effects, everything just seamlessly flows into one big illusion. The ensemble cast is probably one of the most fantastic casts that have all the big players that one would hope for; from Morgan Freeman to Michael Caine, Jesse Eisenberg to newbie Dave Franco; each actor is outstanding in their respective role. Woody Harrelson gives a standout performance in this film as he is given some of the most clever, witty dialogue in the whole movie. The only qualm I had about the film was a scene in Paris near the end of the film that felt a little underdeveloped, but works. This is one of those films where you will want to sit through a second time to see what was missed the first time around. This film puts the magic back into movie making so make sure you catch "Now You See Me" when it opens in theaters starting Friday, May 31, 2013.
