'Now You See Me' One Big Scene: Movie Magic Boosts a New York Chase

 

One Big Scene is a weekly column dedicated to spectacular visual sequences we’re recommending you see in the theater. If you have ones you’d like us to write about, let us know in the comments section.

 

Magic doesn’t always translate to the movies. While sleight of hand tricks look spiffy in person, illusions are all too easy to replicate using “movie magic” on screen, and so the tricks aren’t as impressive as the entertainer probably hoped. 

 

So it makes sense that Louis Leterrier’s magicians-as-bank-robbers thriller Now You See Me worries less about what we’re looking for and focuses on the speed with which a tight con can be explained … and then unraveled. As lightweight summer escapism, See sizzles. Just don’t think about it too much, or like a magician’s tricks, the truth will be revealed. 

 

Let’s zoom in on a riveting scene that justifies a trip to the theaters this weekend, and then see what the critics are saying. 

 

The Scene:

Like so many bait-and-switch movies, Now You See Me often has you looking one way when you’re supposed to be paying attention to what’s happening on another section of the screen. That becomes particularly challenging during a fast-paced police chase that has FBI agent Mark Ruffalo closing in on one of the criminal magicians in The Four Horsemen, played by Dave Franco. 

 

Pay attention as the cars are flipping, automobiles are catching fire, and Ruffalo is risking his life on a New York City bridge to save Franco’s life. Because – as is often the case – all is not what it seems in this One Big Scene … and that’s the reason why Now You See Me is worth a look this weekend.