A star-studded heist caper that utilizes sleight of hand to pack its story full of twists and turns is a concept with almost unlimited potential, so it’s incredibly infuriating that both Now You See Me and its sequel (which unbelievably wasn’t called Now You Don’t) proved to be half-baked all the way through to their soft, soggy cores.
The first installment was almost the dictionary definition of a big budget blockbuster that plays things so safe it becomes uninteresting by default, matters that weren’t helped by one of the most half-assed final twists you’re likely to see. Inevitably, though, Now You See Me 2 earned less money and fared worse with critics despite boasting a ridiculous stacked ensemble.
Lizzy Caplan may have stepped in to replace Isla Fisher, but Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman all returned, with new blood in the form of Daniel Radcliffe, Sanaa Lathan, and Jay Chou. In the end, it was another lukewarm spoonful of tasteless Hollywood gruel.
The fact the two combined to earn almost $700 million at the box office means that we’re getting a third installment eventually, even if it’s been trapped in development hell for half a decade already. It also helps that the duology remains eminently popular on-demand, with Now You See Me 2 currently surging on streaming.
As per FlixPatrol, the undercooked escapade that unites the Four Horseman to take down a common enemy all over again is one of the 10 top-viewed features on ad-supported platform Freevee in the United States, reinforcing its arguably undeserved popularity.