“It’s like Fast and Furious with magic, but without the charm. Now You See Me 3 is a ridiculous, CGI-filled mess that introduces unlikable new characters and kills off legends for no reason. If you turn your brain off completely, you might be entertained.”
The Four Horsemen return for a third outing, but the magic seems to have run dry. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t attempts to inject new blood into the franchise with a fresh generation of illusionists, but ends up feeling like a tired, over-the-top parody of itself.
The film leans heavily into the absurdity, treating its heists less like clever cons and more like superhero set pieces. The “magic” on display is almost entirely reliant on impossible CGI, stripping away the awe of practical illusions.
The “New” Horsemen
A major point of contention is the introduction of the “new generation” of magicians, led by Justice Smith (Dungeons & Dragons). The film spends a significant amount of time trying to make us care about these new characters—a parkour expert, a “cool guy,” and Justice Smith’s nervous leader—but they lack the charisma of the original cast.
Justice Smith, in particular, is given a confusing arc. He spends the movie playing the “I’m not confident” card, only to be revealed as the mastermind behind the entire plot in a twist that feels unearned and cringeworthy.
A CGI Spectacle (Not Magic)
If you are looking for clever sleight of hand or practical mentalism, look elsewhere. The film treats magic like a superpower. Characters throw cards that act like shurikens, change clothes instantly with CGI wipes, and survive situations that defy physics.
The highlight of absurdity involves a heist of a $500 million diamond. The plan involves replacing a helicopter with a cardboard cutout (that somehow spins?) and escaping via zipline. It’s Looney Tunes logic applied to a live-action thriller.
The Morgan Freeman Problem
Perhaps the film’s biggest sin is its treatment of Morgan Freeman’s character, Thaddeus Bradley. In a baffling creative decision, the legendary actor is killed off in a clumsy, accidental shooting during a mirror maze sequence.
There is no grand reveal, no “it was all an illusion” twist. He just dies, and the movie moves on without so much as a funeral. It feels like a disrespectful end to a character who was central to the franchise’s lore.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Mindless Entertainment: If you like loud, dumb fun, it has its moments. | No Real Magic: It’s all CGI effects and camera tricks. |
| Woody Harrelson: Still fun to watch, even with silly material. | The New Cast: Unlikable and lack chemistry with the originals. |
| Some Creative Ideas: The diamond heist setup had potential before it got silly. | Morgan Freeman’s Death: A pointless and anticlimactic end to a legend. |
| Nonsensical Plot: The twists rely on impossible coincidences. |
Now You See Me: Now You Don't: Now You See Me: Now You Don't is a "below average" sequel that jumps the shark so many times it lands in a different ocean. It tries to be Ocean's Eleven meets Dr. Strange, but fails to capture the wit of the former or the spectacle of the latter. Unless you are a die-hard fan of the franchise who just wants to see the cast reunite, this is a safe skip. Wait for streaming, or better yet, just rewatch the first one. – Asmodeus
