Rating of
1.5/4
Overly Silly Sequel
Unknown - wrote on 06/15/16
'Now You See Me 2' is the needless loopy sequel to the averagely entertaining, twist-filled magician caper/comedy from a couple years back. The first film was adequate; the absolute definition of a 'cable movie'. This 'second act' piles on the ridiculousness. The events that unfold require a much greater suspension of belief. Too much for me, personally. Silly twists pile on in a numbing amount. One significant twist (at the end) tries to emulate the final twist of the first by completely changing the entirety of a returning character. Everything he's about is flipped for the purpose of saying "gotcha" to the audience. It felt cheap. A surprise reveal of a pointless new character at the beginning forces an unnecessary annoyance on us from time to time. The plot, and actions of the villains, make little sense. The returning cast is having some fun and are joined by an energetic Caplan. They all work to sell at least some of the comedy. One particular scene involving a mini-heist through use of card tricks perfectly sums up the intent of the film and makes for a enjoyable dumb watch. If the rest had worked on that level, I'd have given more of a pass to the abundance of silly hi-jinx.
