After a lengthy hiatus, the Horsemen are back for a third act in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. If you are a fan of the franchise’s signature blend of glossy heists and impossible magic, you will find this entry to be a solid enough addition, even if it doesn’t quite recapture the spark of the original.
One of the biggest risks with long-delayed sequels is the integration of new blood, but this film manages that balancing act surprisingly well. The new trio of younger magicians, played by Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt, fit into the ensemble naturally. Their inclusion felt organic rather than forced, and they had decent chemistry with the returning cast without trying too hard to steal the spotlight. It was refreshing to see the torch being passed (or at least shared) in a way that didn’t feel like a cynical studio mandate.
However, the film stumbles significantly in its second half during the Abu Dhabi sequence. It is hard to ignore the heavy-handed product placement here. The entire detour feels like a glossy tourism advertisement for the emirate, including the W Hotel. The camera lingers on the hotel’s architecture and branding as well as Abu Dhabi’s Louvre so lovingly that it stops the narrative dead in its tracks. It felt forced and genuinely took away from the actual story, pulling you out of the heist immersion just to sell you a holiday destination.
Fortunately, the film sticks the landing. Without spoiling anything, the smart twist at the end was handled well. It recontextualised much of what came before in a satisfying way, reminding audiences why they enjoyed these films in the first place.
Overall, the movie was solid but just not amazing. It is a perfectly fine way to spend an evening if you are already at the cinema, but it is not something that is worth going out of your way for. If you wait for it to hit streaming, you likely won’t feel like you missed out on a massive cinematic event.