Now You See Me 2 offers a different kind of movie magic

When Now You See Me came out in 2013 it was, for the most part, considered to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Whilst a financial success, it was criticised for its failure to flesh out its characters and conclude key plot points. But with a cast that included the likes of Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo, it was hard not to imagine a sequel being put together backstage. 

Three years on, and like a once-vanished magician’s assistant, the main cast make a reappearance (with the exception of Isla Fisher who may very well be floating around in bad magician limbo somewhere). This time, we get to see what the Horseman are truly capable of when they’re pitted against Daniel Radcliffe’s Walter Mabry (Harry Potter jokes are strictly forbidden), who intends to use a chip to access encrypted information across the entire planet and do away with the Horsemen once and for all. Yes, it’s yet another plot that involves a dangerous digital McGuffin, but this one is not without a sprinkle of magic and some meaningful subtext. Described as ‘modern day Robin Hoods’, the Horsemen are still very much guided by their moral compass and their motive: to expose big-time thieves to the world. 

Looks like Harry fell in with the wrong crowd after Hogwarts...

And then there’s the cast. Lizzy Caplan is quite magical in her own way as newcomer Lula, bursting with attitude and energy and serving as a solid replacement to Isla Fisher’s charismatic Henley Reeves. Woody Harrelson reminds us he can act, having been wasted in all four Hunger Games movies, but ultimately outdoes himself with, well, himself. Naturally, Radcliffe brings some much-needed magic, but this time leaning more towards ‘dark wizard’ territory (I couldn’t help myself), and it’s a nice change to see Caine and Freeman playing the crooks for once, although I’m not sure what Batman would make of it. 

It’s pretty light-hearted stuff with a refreshingly-harmless feel to it all, and a little bit more emotional weight than the first. Far more entertaining than all the Ocean’s movies combined, and with a creative opening sequence that if not so under-used would have rivalled that of any Bond movie, this smart, slick espionage flick has more up its sleeve than just cheap parlour tricks. 

That said, you may at first find the plot quite confusing and convoluted.