Movie Review: "Now You See Me 2"

Before I went to the advanced screening of Now You See Me 2 I got to read my movie review for its successor. The first "Now You See Me" flick came out in 2013 and became a success grossing over $300 million worldwide. The film also bagged People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Thriller. 

In my review back in 2013, I wrote about how the film reminded me of three other films: "Ocean's Eleven", "The Prestige" and "The Italian Job" it was the first of its own kind and it really amazed audiences, myself included and with the ending as it was, "The Four Horseman" being part of the mysterious "The Eye" it was really a matter of wanting to find out what happened to our favorite magicians. 

The film opens with a dramatic flashback as we see the heartbreak a young Dylan Rhodes goes through when his father dies in an attempt to escape a safe that is thrown in a river. We recall that this was the driving force which led to the inception of the plot of the first film. It was a good starting point so we can understand the ghosts that haunt Dylan. 

I enjoyed the sequence which showed the events of the first film, sort of a "previously on..." it's hard to describe-you'd have to see it for yourself but it was pretty cool. 

It's been a year after the events of the first film, Thaddeaus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) is in prison, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is a double agent as he continually works the Four Horseman case as his FBI agent persona but who is also secretly the leader of the Horsemen.      

The Eye has asked the Horseman to "lay low" ever since their last act, something Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) is not so happy about. Henley (Isla Fischer) is said to have left the group, it reality the actress had to drop out of the sequel due to her pregnancy. 

The Horseman are asked to come out in hiding in order to divulge the unethical practice of a tech magnate, the group welcome Lula, (Lizzy Caplan) a "decapitator" to the team. I love Lula, I think the audiences did too. She was adorable and hilarious and her blooming romance with Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) was so much believable rather than the scorned love between Atlas and Henley. 

The tables are quickly turned on the Horseman as they find themselves in a strange land and taking orders from a spoiled brat and sociopath in Daniel Radcliffe's Walter Marby. A role, I enjoyed seeing him in. I was looking forward to seeing the actor in the film and I must say that I was not disappointed.  

I was also excited to see Jay Chou in another Hollywood film. I've been a fan of the Taiwanese singer since I was in High School. He has been known to be a fan of magic, which has also been a theme in his music, he also has a bit of that sleight of hand :) 

For those of you who don't know him, he played Kato alongside Seth Rogen in "The Green Hornet". He also played Prince Zhai in Zhang Yimou's "The Curse of the Golden Flower". It's obvious that I'm a fan isn't it? :) He's also on Spotify. I recommend his first five albums:

Jay (2000), Fantasy (2001), The Eight Dimensions (2002), Ye Hui Mei (2003) and Common Orange Jasmine (2004).   

SPOILER ALERT 

I wasn't too thrilled about Woody Harrelson playing a twin in the movie, I mean Harrelson is without a doubt an incredible actor who, even seeing him play a crazier version of Merritt McKinney is hilarious, a twin being the only one to call McKinney's bluf is kind of meehhh for me. 

I also wished they didn't reveal their good tricks in the trailer, Like of Atlas and the rain. That was a really cool trick but since it was already in the trailer, it didn't have that wow factor for me anymore. 

7 out of 10 Stars, Now You See Me 2 has the same magic and how-they-done-it thrills as the first, unfortunately like the magic of the first kiss, which can no longer be repeated, you find yourself looking for clues as to how the tricks are done are will be done. You already know what to expect so that takes the magic out of it. You'll still definitely enjoy it for sure, with some hand biting (I was literally biting my hand) suspense and jaw dropping sequences.There was more comedy injected in the sequel so that's a plus too. 

Now You See Me 2 is now showing in Cinemas from Pioneer Films!    

Movie News: MASTER MAGICIANS BACK AND BEYOND THE LIMITS OF ILLUSION IN “NOW YOU SEE ME 2”

The surprise worldwide hit caper “Now You See Me” which grossed over $300 million worldwide and earned the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Thriller, made the Horsemen’s return to the screen inevitable for their most astounding magic act in “Now You See Me 2.”  After starting out in New York City, where the first film left off, the action of “Now You See Me 2” soon becomes international as The Horsemen are transported to Macau, seemingly by magic, then on to London for a final showdown with an unexpected alliance of enemies.

 In 2013, “Now You See Me” mesmerized the world with the David and Goliath escapades of a preternaturally gifted group of professional illusionists who pull off daring heists at the expense of a corrupt billionaire.  This year, “Now You See Me 2” brings back the talented group in a lightning-paced global adventure that blurs the line between heroes and villains as the Horsemen continue their mission armed only with their imaginations, skill and camaraderie.  This time, things go wrong very quickly for the Horsemen. 

The audience can look forward to watching a movie that has a bigger scope, bigger laughs and bigger action, while going deeper into the mythology of The Eye. 

Directed by Jon M. Chu (“G.I. Joe Retaliation”), also known for his expertise in cutting-edge technology in filmmaking, brings “Now You See Me 2” on its biggest, boldest and unparalleled innovative magic ever onscreen.  “Now You See Me 2” stars returning cast Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine with new characters played by “Harry Potter’s” Daniel Radcliffe,  Lizzy Caplan, Jay Chou and Sanaa Lathan.

 A big fan of “Now You See Me,” Chu jumped at the chance to work with a cast full of world-class actors, including five Oscar® winners and nominees, to make a movie combining magic, storytelling and mystery. “This script was so much fun to work on,” he continues. “However this time around, we get to be with the Horsemen as they are trapped in a magic trick themselves and have to use their illusionist skills to get out. Ed Solomon’s script is  brilliant and combines intricate story architecture with a breezy pace and fun tone that makes the movie an event for the whole family."

In “Now You See Me 2,” the audience will feel like they are watching first hand as great magicians do their best work, according to screenwriter Ed Solomon, whose numerous past credits include “Men in Black” and cult-classic “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” “You should have that dual response that magic so often evokes,” Solomon says. “You are amazed by what you are seeing even though you know you’re being fooled. You’re excited to see where it will take you. There’s that wonderful suspension of disbelief.”

 At the heart of this film, like that of its predecessor, is a sense of adventure and wonder, says Solomon. “I hope it’s at least as much fun for the audience to watch as it was for us to make,” he adds. “I think people love magic for the same reason they love jokes. It’s the element of surprise. You know it’s a game, but you feel safe. People love watching an expert doing something they don’t quite understand and trying to get to the bottom of that mystery.”

 Prepare for the unbelievable when “Now You See Me 2” opens June 8 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Movie Musings: Now You See Me

We've been very busy with events these past few weeks, so this Movie Review is already a tad too late but you know what they 'better late than never' right? And I have already given my initial review of the movie through tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts. :) 

So here we go-last May 29, 2013 was the Movie Premiere of 'Now You See Me' blog post here. So in my initial posts I already mentioned that 'Now You See Me' was a combination of Ocean's 13, The Prestige and (a favorite movie of mine) The Italian Job, so why these three movies? 

Well Ocean's 13 for the all star cast - we have Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) as the showman, as a Woody Harelson (The Hunger Games) as a mentalist, Isla Fisher as an escape artist and Dave Franco as a pickpocket; together they are the Four Horsemen, a group of magicians who as their final act rob a bank.  

The star studded cast is joined by Michael Caine as the Horsemen's benefactor and Morgan Freeman as a 'Breaking the Magician's code' guy and of course Mark Rufallo is the often clueless to a point of being hilarious FBI agent who is assigned to the case, he is joined by Melanie Laurent as an Interpol agent.  

'Now You See Me' is a fast movie - it is fast paced, you have to think fast or else you will be left behind. It is a movie that will really make you think- but in a fun kind of "thinking", not the type that will make your head hurt. 

Movie Premiere: Now You See Me

So earlier was the Movie Premiere of 'Now You See Me' at SM Megamall and we were once again fortunate enough to be invited by Pioneer Films (Movie Punch) to catch the premiere screening. 

We immediately noticed that we would be sharing this movie experience with 106.7 Energy FM which was the Media Partner for the event. It was also sponsored by Pizza Hut :) 

There were some games before the movie started and I really, really wanted to win that Palm Card! Hello! Pizza Hut! Palm Card (ahem, ahem) I just suck big time when it comes to draw lots. (I never win!) 

So after the games and obligatory photos were done, we settled right in to start the movie, I must say though I really liked the new video for the National Anthem, it featured modern day heroes, like a fireman rescuing a baby (instead of 'Chicago Fire' it could have easily been 'Tondo Fire'), OFW's, a doctor in the barrio etc. I personally liked it more than the spot the actor/playing the National Hero video. Kudos to GMA 7 for the production. 

It was a good thing I was able to catch the trailers - because I love trailers and the trailers that were previewed were all upcoming movies from Movie Punch. 

Click on the links below to check out the trailers. Excited for each one :) 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones

Red 2 

Do Yuou see what I see? 

Like I always, I have a separate movie review from the movie premiere post, so I will (try to) save most of what I thought of the film but I will definitely say that it was amazing! I know I said in an earlier blog post that it was a cross between Ocean's 13 and The Prestige but now that I have seen it I would want to add another movie in the mix and this is one of my favorite movies I might add- The Italian Job. 

'Now You See Me' Showing on May 30!

Probably a cross between 'Ocean's 13' and 'The Prestige', 'Now You See Me' promises a lot of magic, a big bank heist and an unconventional battle between 

'The Four Horsemen' (a group of magicians) and the FBI and the Interpol. 

Check out the trailer below! 

So aside from the above mentioned I am also excited to see this movie because of its all star cast. Let me just say that I am becoming fan of Jesse Eisenberg, we all surely saw him in his award winning role as Mark Zuckerburg in The Social Network. Of course it is always a pleasure to watch Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo and Micheal Caine on screen. 

Also how come they don't keep anything for themselves? Hmmmm- as Sheldon would say -'Color me intrigued'. 

'Now You See Me' is brought to you by Pioneer Films (Movie Punch) and is showing on May 30, 2013. Make sure to catch it in cinemas! All those magic tricks and special effects would really look crappy if you watch it online or through pirated DVDs. :P