By Nick Nitkowski

It’s been nine years since the release of “Now You See Me 2”. Within that time, I had a feeling that the franchise had officially ended at 2 as so many franchises, unfortunately, often do. So, imagine my surprise when it was announced that we were actually getting a third “Now You See Me” movie. Not only that, it’s being graced with the title that many believe should have been the title for the second movie, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t”. Now, it’s no secret that these films were never critically acclaimed, but they were fun enough to keep the audience watching. The question is, after a nine-year absence from the big screen, does this franchise still have a few tricks up its sleeve to entice the audience to come back for more?

“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” sees the return of the world-renowned Four Horsemen, the group of magicians the steel from the corrupt and give back to the people. After recruiting a group of copycat magicians, they band together to perform their latest magic trick; a diamond heist from a criminal organization. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman and previously absent and now returned Isla Fisher all return in this new installment along with some new faces including Justice Smith, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt.

My initial reaction after leaving the auditorium when the movie was over was, “That was fun.” And I believe that is the most important takeaway from this movie, that it is fun. It provides the same brand of entertainment from the previous films that fans of the franchise will undoubtedly seek. That being said, not everything in this movie works, but I was personally able to overlook those things simply because I knew what this movie was and what I was signing up for. But I’m confident that these things won’t be seen favorably in the eyes of the critics.

For instance, the villain played by Rosamund Pike was probably the weakest of the franchise. But in her defense, it’s hard to go up against the likes of Michael Caine or Daniel Radcliffe from the previous films. There’s also a scene where all the characters are showing off their magic tricks amongst themselves when their focus should have been on more important things in the moment. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fun scene, but from a logical standpoint, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was something that they really needed to be doing at that moment. 

Aside from that, you still get all of the magic, heists, and humor that you know and love from the franchise. Some of which are more impressive than others, but entertaining all the same. Everyone still does the best with the roles that they are given. There are no standout performances with it because when it comes to the actors, what you see is what you get. You see Eisenberg, Harrelson, Franco, Fisher, or Freeman. That’s what you , et and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Overall, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” is made strictly for the fans in mind. Despite the flaws in the film, I was still able to have a good time watching it, and I’m sure that fans will experience the same amount of fun as I did. It’s an imperfect third entry to the franchise, but if you can turn your brain off and let it perform its magic tricks, you might find yourself enjoying it for what it is. And you can dissect it on the ride home like with most magic shows. It seems to me that this magic still has a little bit of magic left in it for those who still seek it. 

3 ½ stars