Now You See Me Review (No Spoliers)

[Olympic Fan]

This is the third summer in a row that I've gotten pumped up for a non-franchise summer movie.

Two years ago, Cowboys and Aliens was a major disappointment.

Last summer, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer was even worse.

This summer, I was sucked in by the trailers for Now You See Me.

Well, let me say, one for three ain't too bad. I went today with moderate hopes after a slew of mediocre reviews (43 percent on the Tomatometer). Even the positive reviews are relatively blah.

Just my opinion, but I thought it was outstanding -- easily the best movie I've seen this year (and I'm a huge Star Trek fan). If your cup of tea is big explosions, lots of fist fights and car chases, then you might prefer Fast and Furious. Although Now You See Me has all of those things, the emphasis is on the magic ... or the tricks if it comes to that and the efforts of FBI agent Mark Ruffalo to catch the Four Horseman (I don't think that qualifies as a spoiler -- that much is evident in the trailers). Let me just say that I thought the movie played fair with the audience ... it's like a great magic act -- you know you're being tricked and you're delighted (at least I was) when you find out how.

The more I think about it, the movie struck me as an updated version of the original Mission Impossible -- clever, intricate schemes that include disastrous twists that turn out to be part of the plot. Of course, we lost that with MI when Tom Cruise took over and we turned it into an action series. I don't mind an action movie, but why do we have to turn everything into an action movie? That's why I hate the Robert Downey Sherlock Holmes films ... they took the world's greatest detective and turned HIM into an action hero.

This is a movie that's closer to the Prestige or The Illusionist than Ocean's Eleven (the movie most of the negative critics compare it to). It's filled with surprises. Some you'll see coming ... some you won't.

Great job by a strong cast. But the four magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, James Franco and Woody Harrleson) aren't the attraction. I thought Ruffalo, as the befuddled FBI agent chasing them, and Morgan Freeman as the profession de-bunker trying to expose their scheme, were at the heart of the movie.

Anyway, I'm not Jason Evans, but two BIG thumbs up from me.

[luburch]

I think it's safe to say that this will be my favorite movie of the summer. Absolutely loved it.