Now You See Me

So going into this movie, I honestly knew very little about it. I had no idea what movie I wanted to see, so I had looked it up online, and I thought it looked cool. I watched the trailer and looked up some reviews, but upon seeing that they looked rather lukewarm, I decided not to read them and decide for myself. I often read reviews, but I'm trying to stop because they always color my opinion of the film (or show or book) in question. I would rather make my own decisions.

That being said, I truly disagree with the lukewarm reaction to this movie. I thought that it was fantastic! Alright, so it wasn't a work of any particular artistic genius, but it was incredibly enjoyable!

I loved the  stage show scenes; the magic was compelling and the scenes themselves were beautiful to look at. The sets were polished and perfect, the costumes were awesome, and the effects and pacing of the shows themselves were marvelous! The shows looked incredibly well-rehearsed and the actors did a wonderful job with their roles within the shows.

The characters of the Four Horsemen (the central magicians) were not particularly developed within the script. However, I think that works with their mystique. They spend the entire movie putting on a show and weaving a web for the audience, and it almost makes sense that we end up knowing very little about them. What we do see of them offstage is amusing and makes them into the clear protagonists of the movie. They are people I found myself wishing that I was friends with. Their relationships are believable and, despite not being touched upon very frequently, are not taken as far as to become ridiculous or fake. I love the Horsemen. I came home wanting to learn magic to become a Horseman. No lie.

I only had a few complaints about this movie. The characters of the agents pursuing our Four Horsemen are far more developed but far less compelling. I found myself caring very little about them or their relationship and found myself wishing for their defeat, for I wanted the Horsemen to emerge victorious. Plus, I think that Morgan Freeman was sort of wasted in a film like this that didn't give his character as much time as any Freeman character should deserve. Morgan Freeman is fantastic, but he was just lost in this spectacle of a movie.

I won't reveal any of the numerous plot twists that made this movie so incredibly compelling, but let me tell you that this movie holds you in its ever-evolving clutches until the very end! It kept me on the edge of my seat (quite literally) from start to finish!

Go see this movie! It is fun without being silly and spectacular without being untouchable. It is most definitely worth seeing on the silver screen for anyone who wants entertainment that is both escapist and intelligent!