I first saw this trailer in the cinema and was wowed by it. The effects looked spectacular and the short snippet of the storyline excited me. I’d heard that this film was in production, although I had thought it was more light hearted, only to find out later it was actually a thriller. I then watched the trailer on a computer screen and I must say the smaller screen did it no justice.
Four magicians come together to create The Four Horsemen and become world famous. An FBI agent sets to track them down after they pull off a bank heist in one of their tricks.
The graphics were brilliant in this film. It feels like you are watching a magic show and not special effects in a film, it’s not overdone to a point where it’s not believable. It would definitely wow an audience, no 3D needed.
The soundtrack was parallel with what was happening onscreen. It was like a feeling more than a sound, which replicated the grand adventures throughout the narrative. It was like something colossal and bold and reminded me heavily of some of the James Bond soundtracks.
Jesse Eisenberg plays J. Daniel Atlas. Daniel is a street magician, but a brilliant one at that. He is smug, arrogant and knows how good he is. It reminded me of his character role in The Social Network. After seeing Eisenberg in interviews, I know that he can come off as quite arrogant and so I think he was the absolute perfect choice for the role. There’s something about him in this film that lures you in, even if you don’t want to go.
Isla Fisher is Henley Reeves; a gorgeous, former assistant to Daniel, who has mastered her own craft. She is sultry and buzzing throughout the film. At first glance at the character role, people may think other actresses could be better suited for the role but after watching her first scene you’ll see she fits it like a glove. There’s something you don’t trust about her but you can’t take your eyes off her.
Mark Ruffalo plays FBI agent Dylan Rhodes who is attempting to track down the famous magicians, The Four Horsemen. He is a drunk, non-believer in magic with a bad attitude. As the film progresses we see Rhodes becoming more and more infatuated with both catching the magicians and magic in general.
Woody Harrelson is Merritt McKinney, a mentalist and part of The Four Horsemen. He is first perceived to be a cheap hypnotist willing to do just about anything for someone’s money. As the four horsemen come together we see him sharpen up and gain respect from audiences worldwide. Jack Wilder, played by Dave Franco is someone who can pick anything; any lock, any pocket, you name it. He proves to be incredibly talented with his hands and is a worthy addition to the group. Thaddeus Bradley is a know-it-all former magician, now famous for revealing other magicians’ secrets. Played by Morgan Freeman, we see a smug and yet bitter man going against his craft to make money. Michael Caine plays Arthur Tressler, The Four Horsemen’s benefactor. So blinded by the glitz and glam and making money off this prestigious act, he misses the big picture. Hence the films tagline ‘Come in close, because the more you think you see, the easier it’ll be to fool you’.
Some of my favourite bits were:
The opening scene was a trick performed by Daniel. It was brilliant. The trick works on the audience, and yes it worked on me. It sets the film up for what you can expect and the standard it has set.
This is fairly general but all of their big tricks were my favourite bits. I can’t say too much about the tricks but they have their audience, even the audience watching in the cinema, in the palm of their hands. My only advice, don’t try and figure it out because you’ll miss the bigger picture. Just go with it.
My final favourite bit was the ending. Not just their final trick or the end scene but the way the narrative draws into a close. The way everything comes together and the reason behind what they have done is great. You won’t see whats coming.
It's hard to compare this film to films within the same genre because I find it quite unique. It is quite similar to other thrillers however it has a sleekness to it which isn't present in most thrillers.
I would definitely recommend this film. It is a possibility that once all is revealed that the film can't be watched over and over, like some others, but it is a film that is worth a watch. Even so, watching it again, other elements of the film may reveal themselves which is always exciting when watching a film again.
I would rate the film 4.5/5, personally. It's something that I would watch again and buy on DVD.
Courtesy of Odeon Cinemas.
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