Now You See Me 2 proves to be a magical and engaging movie that tries to provide a satisfactory sequel to the original. The illusionists called the Four Horsemen have received recognition and fame from their adoring fans in the public, especially due to their ability to fight for justice in a complex manner that often results in giving money back to victims of vicious and ruthless criminals or corrupt individuals. In fact, due to the amount of publicity that the Four Horsemen initially received, they have now been lying on the low for quite some time, eager to find out what happens next for them. However, they finally get their chance to gain publicity once more when they receive a new show. At this stage show, the illusionists attempt to go back to their old tricks of exposing untrustworthy individuals that are typically corrupted by greed, and as the Four Horsemen try to expose other individuals, they begin to get exposed at their own show. Realizing that they have been in somebody's trap the entire time, the Four Horsemen soon wake up in Macau, China. Coming to the startling discovery that there is somebody out there capable of following their tricks to get the best of them, the Four Horsemen soon meet Walter Mabry, a brilliant technology wizard that is in charge of a massive company, all while being supposedly dead. Completely off the grid, there's no real trace of Walter Mabry's being still alive, which he uses to his advantage to help make as large of a profit as possible. However, despite how Walter Mabry is far from being a trustworthy individual, he has the advantage in the situation, especially because the Four Horsemen are under his control in Macau, with no way to get back home. Understanding that it's important to just do whatever Walter asks, the Four Horseman soon find themselves following his orders to steal a powerful technology chip that Mabry plans to use for a hostile takeover of computers throughout the world. With the idea of being able to access any and all information from computers, Walter Mabry has plans to use this information to make as much money, and subsequent power, as possible. As the Four Horsemen attempt to devise a plan to get out of the mess that they have found themselves in, as well as get revenge on Walter Mabry, they begin to realize that there may finally not be an escape possible. As all of this goes along, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes carries out his own plan to finally receive revenge on Thaddeus Bradley, who Dylan believes is responsible for his father's death, meaning Rhodes has plans to do whatever it takes to put Bradley behind bars. 

 Now You See Me 2 tries its hardest to be just as impressive as the original, often using a similar plot and structure to attempt to achieve similar results, but it doesn't ever become nearly as cohesive or concise as the original. The movie fails to generate nearly as much emotion, drama, personality, or unpredictability throughout the film, and although there are still plenty of interesting visuals and magic tricks that will still shock audiences, it doesn't have the same level as impact as the original. The beginning of the movie does a fine job of reintroducing audiences to the Four Horsemen, as well as attempt to address the fact that the female member of the group has now been replaced with an entirely new character in Lula. While this entire transition doesn't exactly make sense, the movie tries its hardest to not focus on this aspect and instead roll with the flow and allow the movie to progress as it otherwise would. The middle of the movie manages to develop plenty of characters, as well as the growing mystery and the connections between the Four Horsemen, Thaddeus Bradley, Dylan Rhodes, and Walter Mabry, and includes plenty of eye-popping magic scenes that will be sure to capture the audience's attention. However, one of the main faults of the movie is the fact that it relies more heavily on creating stylized tricks that try to dazzle viewers instead of heartfelt emotion. The entire adventure is still thoroughly entertaining and cheerfully enjoyable, but it doesn't necessarily possess the well-written script of the original. The enticing ending of the movie still packs plenty of thrilling surprises, and although the believability of some of the moments are slightly questionable, a lack of disbelief is almost always necessary in these kinds of films. 

 Now You See Me 2 might not be quite as creative and genuine as the original, but it still possesses an impressive ensemble that completely oozes with talent. All of the Four Horsemen have notable actors, with Lizzy Caplan's portrayal of Lula, Dave Franco's Jack Wilder, Jesse Eisenberg's J. Daniel Atlas, and Woody Harrelson's Merritt McKinney balancing one another stupendously. Their scripts might not be perfect, but these actors try to give it their all, and their ability to revel in their roles at least allows viewers to have fun along with them. Coupled with some strong performances from Mark Ruffalo's Dylan Rhodes and Morgan Freeman's Thaddeus Bradley, the movie is able to have an instantly-likable cast on multiple different levels. When Daniel Radcliffe's Walter Mabry is thrown into the mix, there's no denying the film's astounding cast, even if they aren't always put to the best use. 

 Now You See Me 2 tries its hardest to be as triumphant as the first movie in the series, but it ultimately feels far less magical. It is still an entertaining movie to watch, constantly capable of pleasing viewers with fan-catered visuals and magic tricks, and the infusion of illusions and scams is sufficient enough to add an element of mysteriousness to the adventure. Packed with a star-studded cast, this movie doesn't do anything revolutionary but has enough magic to at least try to justify some of its more absurd concepts. The movie may not be perfect, but crime and magic always form a delightful combination, and the movie is able to boast that very balance. It's worth giving a chance, as long as audiences are prepared to only watch a movie for pure entertainment.