Flawed Magic Is Still Magic

Directed by Louis LeTerrier

Starring Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Michael Caine

I remember when this first came out. It looked like great fun. I finally got around to seeing it, and it turns out I was right. Without hitting any spoilers for anyone who doesn’t know the story, it’s pretty simple. Four magicians review a mysterious  invitation to create one of the greatest magic shows of all time. Much to the surprise if them all (and the authorities), it centers on stealing vast amounts of money. Atlas (Eisenberg) is a specialist in up close magic, Reeves (Fisher) is his former assistant who is a headliner in her own right now, McKinney (Harrelson) is a mentalist who was a headliner but is working his way back after some time in jail, and Wilder (Franco) who is an up and coming magician.  So there’s a bit of history and lots of ego to overcome to make this work.

Let’s get the objections out of the way.  There are several HUGE plot holes in this story.  I noted them and decided I didn’t care.  This movie is about the glitz and glamor of magic at its flashiest.  This is Vegas style, major production number, we-spared-no-expense kind of performance art.  In other words, it’s all about the sizzle.  There are some clever explanations on how you could pull these stunts off, and that’s fun to watch.  In the end, I couldn’t care less.  The reunion of Harrelson and Eisenberg, who had great chemistry in “Zombieland” is the cherry on top.  They keep the story cooking.  Fisher is fine, while Franco isn’t given much to do for most of the movie.  Or is that an illusion, too?  Michael Caine has a perfectly Michael Caine kind of role that probably padded his bank account without requiring too much dramatic heavy lifting.  Morgan Freeman gets a little more to work with, but he’s fine here, too.

You should watch this movie just for the over the top silliness of it all.  You should watch it for the experience of having the seats closest to the stage of a huge magic show you will likely ever get.  Watch it because it’s fun with great humor, excellent pacing, and the fact that stuff keeps disappearing.  Sometimes there’s even a puff of smoke.

I know some magicians hate the movie because it’s not the most flattering or accurate version of who they are and what they do.  For the people who watch movies waiting for plot holes large or small to appear so they can shriek in delight/admonition (I’m never quite sure which it is with them), they will hate/love this one too.

But if you’re just looking for a good time?  Wave your magic wand, say the magic words and enjoy.