Now You See Me

Dena and I enjoyed our pick of the magic-filled "Now You See Me" in theaters last week.

The story locks onto four talented but mostly small-time magicians brought together by an unseen mastermind, whose brilliance is demonstrated in the opening sequence through incredible visuals inside of a dilapidated apartment.

A year later, the so-called "Four Horsemen" (including Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson) find themselves on stage with significant financial backing, a Las-Vegas-ready series of increasingly amazing tricks, and an underlying motive that's both unknown and anti-establishment. Consistently one step ahead of bumbling FBI agent Mark Ruffalo and his Interpol partner, the Horsemen rob the rich, give to the poor, and wisecrack their way toward wealth of their own.

The plot moves ahead steadily, with what I thought was a fair mix of action along both the what's-gonna-happen-next and the bad-guys-on-the-run variety. And, to the delight of the average fan and the curse of the average illusionist, the secrets to the tricks are all revealed almost immediately, mostly by Morgan Freeman, a reputed magician in his own right.

Because of the visual effects and the frequent viewpoint from an audience point of view, I'd recommend seeing this one in the theater while it lasts, but it would still be a good rental for the whodunnit mystery of it all, including some "no WAY" moments in the final reveal of the show.