Film Preview: Now You See Me 2 (2016)

Page Revisions:

(November 22, 2015) Original
(March 20, 2016) New Trailer (#2) / New Posters (#1-#13)
(June 5, 2016) New Trailer (#3) / New Posters (#14-#19)

Release Date:

June 10, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public’s adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, The Four Horsemen resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry, a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.”

Poster Rating: C+ (9) / A- (4) / C+ / B- / B (3)

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Review: (#1-#9) Nine character posters built on the house of mirrors concept, but not diverting enough from each other to make them exciting. (#10-#13) On the other hand, these four character designs hearken back to the feats of illusion that used to accompany carnivals and other events, each highlighting the individual specialties of the Four Horsemen. These are worthwhile designs.

(#14) A simple, but visually streamlined design that doesn’t quite work as a piece of advertising propaganda. (#15) A card maze is modestly fitting for this franchise, though a house of cards might have been more appropriate. (#16-#18) These posters are modestly confusing. They seemingly merge two images together as a backdrop for the characters. It works from a visual standpoint, but might be a bit too confusing otherwise.

Trailer Rating: B- / B / C+

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Review: (#1) Ostensibly a tease, this first trailer should get fans of the original interested, but it won’t appeal beyond that fanbase.

(#2) The film that audiences enjoyed and made a box office hit has finally gotten a worthy trailer that reminds them why they were so enthralled by its admittedly far-fetched magical stylings. This should do well bringing fans back to the movie, but broadening its appeal may not happen.

(#3) If you could make a film look less appealing in successive trailers, this film would be a case in point. Whereas its predecessor created the guise of a film that looked fun and engaging, this trailer looks almost the opposite. It feels trite and overexposed.