When it comes to the Now You See Me franchise, I disliked the 2013 original, and I hated the 2016 follow-up.  The bar was therefore set incredibly low for this third outing which reunites our heroes, known as The Four Horsemen, and sees them team up with a group of upcoming magicians in pursuit of a common goal.  They’re trying to expose South African Veronika Vanderberg (Pike), the heiress of a large diamond mining company which serves as a money laundering operation for skilled criminals.

It’s another average, convoluted storyline and while I wouldn’t be rushing out to see this sequel, it’s the best of the trilogy so far.  The injection of young actors Justice Smith (I Saw the TV Glow), Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), and Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie) provide a necessary boost.  I’d argue they’ve got more nuance and personality than the returning quartet who make a few jokes but do very little in advancing their characters’ arcs.

I liked these newcomers and when it comes to their illusory tricks, we get a sufficient understanding of their methods which are both well planned and well trained.  The movie is too tricky for its own good in places, such as the convenient way funds are stolen and redistributed in the opening scene, but as simple entertainment, I can see why some will enjoy (even if I don’t).

Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) goes “all out” with her villainous performance.  She’s of English descent but the strong, over-the-top South African accent she’s adopted for the character makes her the most memorable of the cast.  That said, it’s hard to imagine how she became so successful given her blasé approach to security, the ease with which she is duped, and the openness of her dodgy business enterprise.  In true action movie style, she’s also silly enough to let the film’s heroes get away despite often having the upper hand (it’s Austin Powers-esque).  While very little about her actions makes sense, she’s a fun character to loathe.

More instalments are touted and while Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is a step in the right direction, I still see it as lightweight baloney.  The flashy cast and flashy locations provide the “illusion” of something sexy and cool but the more you think about the narrative, the dumber it appears.