By Colm McCall
When Woody Harrelson visited the South East region for Waterford Winterval in November 2014, it caused quite a stir. The acting superstar joined the crowds in attendance to watch magician pal Keith Barry undertake a death-defying stunt on one of the Deise's most historic streets. Barry, who was a consultant for the movie, became good friends with Harrelson after he aided him in techniques of hypnotism. The South East illusionist also a very brief cameo in the film; something which I found more amusing than the person beside me. I impulsively blurted out "hey, that's Keith Barry", to which I received an unappreciated round of bemused sighs and awkward looks!
The original outing was criticised for its overbearing plot twist at the end. It has also since topped many online lists for being a 'good movie ruined by its ending'. But seeing as the majority of its stellar cast has returned for the sequel, I was quietly optimistic that the filmmakers too had an ace up their sleeve. The plot follows the four Horsemen as they resurface in a bid to unravel a potential computer hacking scam which could put the entire world into a complete state of disarray. As mentioned, the original cast all return, except Isla Fisher who stepped away due to pregnancy. Joining the ensemble group is Daniel Radcliffe, who in my opinion still cannot shed the typecasting shackles cast upon him by Harry Potter. I strongly doubt that I'm the only one who can't invest into any of Radcliffe's personas for this very reason.
In my opinion, this movie is better than the original. Others may argue the contrary, and it is obviously far off sequel standards set by the likes of The Dark Knight (2008) but it sure as hell is going to be remembered more fondly than Kindergarten Cop 2 (2016). The pacing is quick and well distributed. It never becomes tedious or a chore to watch. But saying that, there were many moments when I threw my eyes to heaven in frustration of the absurdity of some of the onscreen scenarios. I know it's a film about magic but some of the situations and resolutions were just too far fetched. In the latter stages, the plot becomes too muddled and tries to be too clever. I'm all for a great plot twist but when you're swerving the audience to the point of exasperation, you lose a great deal of the story's credibility.
As expected, the film's strongest attribute is its acting prowess. All the performers are supremely talented and Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network 2010) isn't quite as annoying as he normally is either. But the star of the show, in my opinion, is Lizzy Caplan (Hot Tub Time Machine 2010). She was brought in as the female lead instead of Fisher; a decision which alerted sceptics. But it's a move I feel paid dividend in spades. Her character was really different and quirky, and without being annoying she came across as extremely likable. I highly commend her efforts, for it would have been so easy to sit back and be overshadowed by the sheer presence exuded by costars Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption 1994) and Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac 2007). There is always so much hype surrounding the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Margot Robbie, so it was refreshing and cool to see somebody different shine in a big role.
Also unlike its predecessor, this one isn't overshadowed by a ridiculous ending.
Now You See Me 2 scores 6.5/10 on the MACmeter.
