The first trailer for Now You See Me, an upcoming crime thriller about a group of magicians, has recently surfaced online. While it doesn’t seem to be offering anything new or innovating, it does generate a certain curiosity and intrigue, probably because it’s about a group of bank robbing illusionists. And magic is always fun.
Directed by Louis Leterrier, Now You See Me will star Jesse Eisenburg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco as a group of magicians who pull off bank heists during their Las Vegas magic show. In true Robin Hood-esque style, they reward the audience with cash, causing both fame and infamy with the FBI and Interpol. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent are all slated to co-star.
It’s somewhat difficult to call this one from the trailer alone. The clip does feature three stars doing what they’ve come to be known for, for better or for worse: Eisenberg smarting off to authority, Freeman speaking in an appealing voiceover, and Ruffalo being the curiously annoying detective. Now You See Me even hints at Woody Harrelson’s offbeat charm and comic relief. However, the film does seem to linger between the intellectual and the action packed, which can work provided you have all the right elements. But it can also cause a film to come off as unconvincing and cheesy. At a certain point, audiences begin craving either the wit and charm or the car chases and explosions. But rarely ever both.
Hopefully, Now You See Me will be successfully convincing. The film does seem to be adequately cast with an at least interesting plot. It’ll really come down to the script – which was penned by 4 people – and the direction of Louis Leterrier, who was spot on with The Incredible Hulk in 2008 and totally off base in 2010’s Clash of the Titans. Now You See Me will hit theaters next summer, so there’s plenty of time for speculation. Be sure to check back for updates and enjoy the trailer below.
