In a world of children's party illusionists and ambiguously friendly magician teams, Now You See Me 2 does something amazing for the artistic expression of trickery - it makes magic sexy again. Forget what you thought about that annoying kid who always had some new card trick to butcher during school lunches. Jon M. Chu's mystifying sequel brings a coolness back to magicians that Criss Angel tarnished once he got his own show on A&E. Magic is supposed to make your jaw drop, and that's the kind of spellbinding blockbuster that Chu's crew cooks up.
It might be an age-old story of writer vs. editor (creativity vs. oppression), but Jude Law's portrayal of Thomas Wolfe elevates the safely plotted Genius.