These comments assume you've seen the first film so don't need further details about returning characters.
Eighteen months have passed since the group of magicians known as 'The Four Horseman' outwitted the FBI and robbed their previous sponsor, Arthur Tressler; now they are about to stage their return. Well three of them are, Henley Reeves has been replaced by new girl Lula May. They plan to use their skills to expose a plot to steal personal data from anybody buying a new piece of software... things don't go to plan and the four must flee. Things take a surprising turn as they slide down a chute from a New York rooftop and land in a restaurant in Macau! Here Merritt McKinney is bet by his brother, and enemy, Chase, who takes them to Walter Mabry, a former employee of Chase who wants them to steal a chip that will give him access to any computer. Meanwhile their associate, FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes is on their tail along with Thaddeus Bradley, the man they left to rot in jail. What follows is a succession of magic tricks that culminate in a final reveal in London on New Year's Eve as they face an old adversary.
If the plot sounds a bit convoluted that is because it is at times. In a way that doesn't matter as it is there to provide and excuse for magic tricks and misdirection. Unfortunately this is often a problem as many of the tricks require the viewer to accept that a person can unwittingly be hypnotised in an instant or believe in tricks that clearly rely on CGI or other special effects. Also some of the tricks go on too long; notably how they pass the stolen chip between each other as they are searched. On the plus side, if you can suspend your disbelief, there are plenty of fun moments... I particularly liked Lula's simple bit rather disturbing tricks. The cast is solid and clearly having fun; that fun is infectious at least while watching the film. Once it was over I felt it had passed the two hours well enough but imagine most of it will soon be forgotten. Overall hardly a must see but fun enough.
Eighteen months have passed since the group of magicians known as 'The Four Horseman' outwitted the FBI and robbed their previous sponsor, Arthur Tressler; now they are about to stage their return. Well three of them are, Henley Reeves has been replaced by new girl Lula May. They plan to use their skills to expose a plot to steal personal data from anybody buying a new piece of software... things don't go to plan and the four must flee. Things take a surprising turn as they slide down a chute from a New York rooftop and land in a restaurant in Macau! Here Merritt McKinney is bet by his brother, and enemy, Chase, who takes them to Walter Mabry, a former employee of Chase who wants them to steal a chip that will give him access to any computer. Meanwhile their associate, FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes is on their tail along with Thaddeus Bradley, the man they left to rot in jail. What follows is a succession of magic tricks that culminate in a final reveal in London on New Year's Eve as they face an old adversary.
If the plot sounds a bit convoluted that is because it is at times. In a way that doesn't matter as it is there to provide and excuse for magic tricks and misdirection. Unfortunately this is often a problem as many of the tricks require the viewer to accept that a person can unwittingly be hypnotised in an instant or believe in tricks that clearly rely on CGI or other special effects. Also some of the tricks go on too long; notably how they pass the stolen chip between each other as they are searched. On the plus side, if you can suspend your disbelief, there are plenty of fun moments... I particularly liked Lula's simple bit rather disturbing tricks. The cast is solid and clearly having fun; that fun is infectious at least while watching the film. Once it was over I felt it had passed the two hours well enough but imagine most of it will soon be forgotten. Overall hardly a must see but fun enough.