NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (2016)

Genre: Thriller
Running Length: 2.09
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Caine, Jay Chou
Director: Jon M. Chu
Screenplay: Ed Solomon, based on a story by Ed Solomon & Pete Chiarelli

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 is basically more of the same of the first one. Not that I'm complaining because the predecessor was such a guilty pleasure but I reckon the freshness is gone in this sequel. In other words, this second time round it has lost some of its magic. How many times can one get excited to see a woman get sawed into 3 parts, right?

To be fair, the filmmakers added a heist angle into this sequel to raise the stakes for our band of magicians. And the magic tricks are "bigger, better and shinier". Plus the location is more exotic; Macau and London. Somehow it feels like the studio is trying to do what Fast Five did to the Fast and Furious franchise.

Unfortunately, it didn't do it for me as some of the magic tricks are just too "kwa cheong". The scene where they tried to smuggle out a card sized god-like computer circuit board (which incidentally is the main plot of this movie) in a room full of soldiers is so over-the-top I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Even the twist at the end of this movie feels out of place where else in the first movie, its big reveal gave me the "Wow, that was really smart!" response.

As for the performance of the actors, it felt like they were just spitting out their dialogues and having lots of fun. You would think that such a power cast of Oscar nominees and winners would at least add a touch of class to this sequel but overall, the whole experience just feels cheap. This is evident especially when the actors have to explain how an illusion is done. Mark Ruffalo is probably the only one not phoning in his performance and yes, Jay Chou IS IN the movie in a now you see me, now you don't role.

Rating: 5.5/10

WHAT IF (2014)

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Running Length: 1:35
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Megan Park, Adam Driver, Mackenzie Davis, Rafe Spall
Director: Michael Dowse
Screenplay: Elan Mastai, based on the play by T.J. Dawe & Michael Rinaldi

WHAT IF explores the age-old question of  "can men and women ever just be good friends". Well, the plot is predictable; Radcliffe's character decides to put his love life on hold after being burnt by a bad relationship and he meets Zoe Kazan's character in a party. They form an instant connection but they can only remain as good friends because the girl has a long term boyfriend (thankfully, he's not stereotyped as a jerk). But as their feelings grow, they struggle to keep things platonic. Yup, it's the guilty pleasure kind of movie. I think I was expecting the would-be couple to engage in clever and meaningful conversations rather than accidentally ending up in tight situations (twice) to generate sexual tension. Well there were a few sweet and tender moments during their dialogue but it was few and far between. Thankfully, the lead actors have chemistry and they do make a cute couple, to be fair. And the cast playing their "best friend" support is serviceable throughout especially Adam Driver. For those wanting a break from serious thought provoking and emotional wrenching films, I guess it OK to munch on cinematic junk food once in a while.

Rating: 6/10