How Accurate Are The Tricks In Now You See Me 2?
Three years after the release of "Now You See Me," the magicians behind the film decided to perform a second act and pull another rabbit out of their hat: "Now You See Me 2." The sequel saw the Four Horsemen together again except for Isla Fisher, who did not return. Presumably to fill her spot, Lizzy Caplan was brought into the Horsemen as new character Lula.
This film, just like its predecessor, is full of elaborate illusions as the gang fools multiple people from the public to the FBI. As cool and exciting as these stunts are, it's hard not to question whether or not they're realistic, especially because they go far beyond any magic tricks you'd find at your everyday carnival. The sequel also raises the bar with how elaborate and lavish it gets compared to the first film. So just how accurate are the tricks in "Now You See Me 2"?
The tricks are entertaining but not always accurate
The Guardian asked four real magicians their thoughts on the film and its magic tricks, and there seems to be a general consensus: The tricks are very cool and for the most part, could technically happen, just not necessarily the way the film depicts them.
Dr. Will Houstoun, whose Ph.D. is in historic magic, commented on the film's use of CGI to showcase the magic tricks. He doesn't view this as a bad thing, however; the film's magic doesn't necessarily have to be 100% real all the time: "The fact that the magic in 'Now You See Me 2' is not real seems no more upsetting than the fact [that] Dory in 'Finding Nemo' is not a real fish."
The magicians also seemed to enjoy the film, commenting on how fun it is and actually liking its depiction of magicians. Sleight-of-hand artist Laura London said, "'Now You See Me 2' is a popcorn movie, it doesn't need to be realistic, it just needs to be entertaining. And it certainly was. I didn't think the actors were doing much in the way of tricks, they were playing the role of magicians, which they did very well."
So while the tricks in the film aren't exactly realistic, that doesn't take away from the fun. At least for these magicians, the film seems to be magician-approved.