Now you see me (2013)

"Always be the smartest one in the room" (J. Daniel Atlas)

Caper movies can be so good.  I've wrote about them before. The true key to true greatness is like any good magic trick and the oft repeated line of this movie "The closer you are, the less you see."  I agree with the statement in that there must be distraction and a certain asymmetry to information and scope to adequately achieve magic.  I also think that "the prestige" is the true form of a magic trick.

While I think that Now You See Me aimed high in its scope and  grandeur it fell woefully flat in the magic department opting for spectacle.  I don't fault the actors.  Dave Franco is going places.  But, the ludicrous story and the hackneyed way that it all came together did not fool me or make me wonder.  It was just a few steps behind it's audience members.  Should have followed it's own advice.

On a different note.  Whoa! Do the four horseman know how to market themselves!  It's like their true magic is getting people interested and to care about magic shows again.  Seriously, the riot sequences and crowd that they inspire in New York City are ludicrously out of proportion to the scale of what they are doing...and they did this all with limited budget?  The business metrics of this movie are way off.  I would invest in them purely for the magic of whatever voodoo marketing tactics they employ to spread "buzz".

Ratings:

Houdinis:  Skip it.  Very little escaping actually goes on here.

Morgan Freeman: You seem to be in everything lately.  I like you but, perhaps you should be more discerning in your roles

Woody Harrelson:  I'm glad the truly ridiculous leap to safety at the finish didn't sully White Men Can't Jump.
Directors:  Skip it

In love with cute french women?:  Melanie Laurent you were the highlight of the movie.

On a scale of "Got your nose." to dumbfounded awe, I give Now You See Me 2.8 out of 5 stars