Overall Rating: 54%. Enjoyable if you want it to be.

Now You See Me 2 is definitely a sequel which didn’t need to be made. It’s not mind blowing. It’s flashy, a little silly, and just like the original, ends with soaring music and the obligatory reveal. But while it’s not an incredibly memorable and powerful work, it’s fun, looks great, and unlike the first film, doesn’t take itself too seriously.

When I think of the first Now You See Me, all I really remember is the feel of it. The sweeping aerial shots, accompanied by cheering crowds and that great soundtrack that just compels adventure, these are what stick in my mind. However, the convoluted plot, with its backtracking narration and explanation, and the not-so-subtle final twist, are all far murkier territory. While the sequel attempts to remedy this confusion somewhat, this pattern is essentially maintained. Now You See Me 2 looks great, utilizing more fantastic visuals and colors but also keeping realism in mind, and brings back what feels like the same music, which feels a little more tired than before but still gets that same sense of excitement across. Now You See Me 2 is a great cross between the more colorful, digital movies of recent years and older films with more realistic camera moves and color palettes – taking full advantage of the technology of the modern era without losing the audience’s suspense of disbelief. However, the movie loses its viewers a little in the details – both the characters and the plot lack the substance necessary to make the action and twists truly compelling. While the movie is fast-paced and exciting, there are few moments in which the viewer finds themselves actually emotionally invested, as the characters are lost in snappy dialogue and singular motives. The heist feel of the film inherently feels exciting, but the plot still remains both convoluted and cliched – even incorporating that classic “father’s watch” flashback for the emotional tug which we never really end up feeling.

At the most basic level, this movie represents a lot of the problems sequels face, and why it’s so standard for sequels to receive disappointingly low ratings. Movies like Now You See Me 2 are almost destined to be panned by critics – even before they premiere, reviews are ready to be published: “A cash grab. Unoriginal and uninteresting.” This is true to some extent. Now You See Me was never a story which demanded a sequel, and Now You See Me 2 feels very much reminiscent of the first in style and feel. Sequels generally fall into two categories in terms of overall focus: either continuing an overarching plot from the original, such as the Star Wars Trilogy, or taking characters from the previous movie and placing them in an almost entirely different plot, like the Godfather Part 2. In Now You See Me 2, the conflict feels like an unnecessary tie in to the first movie, but at the same time attempts to forge new ground with a host of new characters in a new setting, creating an uneasy divide which simultaneously tries to follow up on the previous plot and establish a new story. Despite this shortcoming, Now You See Me 2 does provide some improvement over the original film. The addition of more lighthearted characters and moments sets a sillier tone than the original, making the plot seem more adventurous rather than full of itself, and the story focuses much more on the spectacle over the explanation, preventing the audience from becoming restless in a movie designed to entertain. Now You See Me 2 doesn’t present itself as as much of a heady and thought-provoking film as the original, allowing the viewers to appreciate it as a fun and exciting movie without the hindrance of excessive explanations.

In the end, despite all of the cliches and predictable moments, I liked this movie. It’s not necessarily worth repeated viewings, and it doesn’t provide much food for thought, but it’s a sequel which excites and entertains and understands what it is – a crazy, confusing adventure about possibly but probably not real magic. Bring a friend, get some popcorn, and have a good time.