"Now You See Me" had a masterfully crafted trailer. It promised a dazzling tale of four illusionists who use stagemanship and misdirection to perpetrate elaborate heists; giving the stolen money to cheering audiences. The movie expands upon this basic premise; the main characters are motivated by a desire to join a mysterious illusionists guild. They are given Robin Hood missions by a mysterious fifth character, who has promised them entrance to the guild if the can transfer wealth from greedy insurance companies to helpless victims of tragedy. What motivates the mystery character is meant as a surprise twist, but it seems pretty obvious early in the story. As promised by the trailer there is plenty of spectacle here; grand illusions, creative props, and impressive slight of hand. While the movie was entertaining, it fell short of high marks set by other recent films. The two films which should be used as comparison are "The Prestige" and "Ocean's Eleven". The latter is a great heist film, which joins together an ensemble cast; each member lending different strengths necessary to pull-off the heist. The intricacy of the plot, which is so meticulously orchestrated, is a joy to watch, and the conclusion is satisfying. "The Prestige" is about men who are truly devoted to the craft of illusion. When watching this film we are part of an audience, susceptible to the effects of misdirection. Here the twists and surprises are amazingly effective, because they have been earned. "Now You See Me" fails to impress. The tricks are to easily explained, and the final explanation is too simple, kind of like the ending of a Murder She Wrote episode (not that there's anything wrong with that). This was a fun movie while it lasted, but lacks the substance to make it stand out.
"After Earth" fits right in line with M. Night Shyamalan's other wonderful stories (ignoring "The Last Airbender") where character, story, and style all work in concert beautifully. This is a relatively basic story, which could be explained in two or three sentences, yet is brought to life by great acting and skilled filmmaking. As with other Shyamalan stories, the setting and action is simply a backdrop for a deeper, dynamic message. Lesser directors would have made this same story into an environmental cautionary tale, which is so cliché. Shyamalan saw through that, to the heart of the story, which is about a father and a son, ultimately focusing on a boy becoming a man. You may wonder how I could be so harsh on "Man of Steel" while seemingly overlooking much of the same in "After Earth". This is definitely an effects-heavy, big budget movie, yet the special effects never overshadow the people. How many times did Superman get hit over the head by a bus, tank, helicopter, building, etc.? I lost interest pretty quickly. Here one of the characters is bitten by a leech, and it was truly a moment of concern. I wanted the characters to survive, and more importantly I wanted them to grow closer together. Shyamalan is one of the most unique storytellers working today, and I was happy to experience this story after a line of recent disappointments at the movie theater.
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