When the magic-based flick “Now You See Me” debuted this summer, it had to compete against a lot of strong films, many of which were part of established franchises. However, in spite of intense competition, this film, about an FBI agent who is trying to track a group of bank robbers, fared well. The key twist to the feature is that the bank robbers are actually magicians who pull off their robberies while performing their magic shows. According to Louis Leterrier, the film’s director, this twist is probably what drew so many audiences to the theater, and it is part of the reason why he was so personally drawn to the script.
The first indication that “Now You See Me” was going to be successful occurred during the film’s screen tests. During those tests, most audience members were rating the film as great or excellent, and many of those people were claiming that they would be happy to recommend the film to their friends. Based on such positive screen tests, Lionsgate decided to release the film during the summer. Although Lionsgate knew that competition would be fierce, they also knew that the film could handle it.
In interviews, Leterrier has said he was also drawn to the film’s script because of the humor and fun he spotted within it. This was an aspect that he wasn’t able to explore in many of his other films such as “the Transporter” or “Clash of the Titans.” While making “Now You See Me,” the director’s sense of fun spread to the cast, and while watching this film, audiences can practically feel how much fun the cast and crew had while they were making it.
In “Now You See Me,” the magicians are more than just robbers. Rather than simply stealing for their own benefit, these illusionists steal from the rich to give to the poor. According to one reviewer, this setup left audiences questioning how poor audience members could even afford a ticket to a Las Vegas magic show in the first place. Because of this unrealistic plot line, some audience members may have left the theater feeling confused about the story, although it’s not unusual for heist films to have somewhat confusing plots to enhance the trickery involved in a robbery.
So that they could perform the magic in the story, the film’s principal actors, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, and Melanie Laurent, had to take magic lessons from David Kwong. In order to work his magic into the film, Kwong spent some time with the original screenwriters, Ed Ricourt and Boaz Yakin, rewriting parts of the script. His goal was to create sleight-of-hand tricks based on the ideas of illusion and misdirection. In fact, even the film’s fight scenes involve a lot of sleight-of-hand antics.
During many of these scenes, audience members were heard gasping in astonishment. However, in some scenes, Kwong allowed his trickery to exceed what would actually be possible in real life. As a result, some reviewers and audience members claimed that, although many of these scenes were amazing, others were simply too unbelievable.
One of the scenes that made some audience members gasp in delight while others rolled their eyes in disbelief was the scene in which Isla Fisher is levitated while inside a giant bubble. Although that trick has not been performed anywhere to date, Kwong claims that it is based on a realistic concept. In the future, Kwong explains, someone may figure out the perfect combination of ingredients needed to create a levitation bubble. For now, however, that trick and the many like it can only be done in films.