FILM REVIEW: NOW YOU SEE ME – NOW YOU DON’T (12A) ESP RATING: 3/5

The Horsemen Juniors breathe new life into the magical franchise.

After a nearly-decade hiatus the leading ‘Horseman’ J Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) re-appears to enlist a trio of young illusionists – Charlie (Detective Pikachu’s Justice Smith), Bosco LeRoy (The Holdovers’ Dominic Sessa) and June (Borderlands’ Ariana Greenblatt) – after they stage a fake Four Horseman magic show, to mirror their traditions of exposing amoral activity.

After Daniel receives a tarot card from the secret magic society known as the Eye, he teams up with the newcomers as they target dangerous money-laundering criminals via an audacious diamond heist involving Rosamund Pike’s ruthless corporate head-honcho Veronika Vanderberg.

They are soon aided by Merritt (Woody Harrelson), Jack (Dave Franco), Henley (Isla Fisher), Lula (Lizzy Caplan) and Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman), when the situation goes ‘south’ and they are hunted down in France.

And what is generally paint-by-numbers stuff, is kept compelling enough by all the affable characters on show – with added freshness from the youngsters who implement their own individual style to proceedings. The ‘twisty’ finale in Abu Dhabi – just like with the others – is also fun to see it unfold.

If you’re a fan of the series, this isn’t dramatically different in tone than the solid first two entries, but commendably gives the illusion of a potential new trilogy revamp – just with a 2025 ‘lick of paint’ to the hocus pocus.

Which shows this franchise still has a few more tricks up its sleeve yet.

ESP Rating: 3/5

Gavin Miller

Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Rosamund Pike, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Lizzy Caplan & Morgan Freeman

Running Time: 1 Hr 52 Mins

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough

For All the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux & Odeon Luxe Cinemas go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk and www.odeon.co.uk