An FBI agent, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and an Interpol detective, Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent) chase a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with cash. So like Robin Hood, these con-artist, magician Houdini types – Isla Fischer, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco (younger brother to James Franco) – steal from the rich and give to the poor.
The story opens on the voice of Morgan Freeman explaining “Look closely. The more you think you see the easier it is to fool you.” Meaning something else is clearly going on then what meets the eye. And Freeman has something to do with it all….
When the four con artists are scooped off to Vegas a year later and robbing banks all “Hunger Games”style from a stage at the MGM, the FBI is called in. But Rhodes (Ruffalo) and Dray (Laurent) are always one step behind, since the con artist magicians can predict not only what the cops are doing but what they’re next move might be. It’s an original premise, but it remains one dimensional. Ruffalo aside, we don’t care or get to know any of these people other than Fischer and Eisenberg have a sexual chemistry of some fling gone wrong. And the biggest question remains that if you’re the police, then what good is trying to catch these guys if you know they’re just going to disappear anyway?
Harrelson is that slow, sly Woody that we’ve grown to love – master at his game and this game. Eisenberg talks gibber-gabber like he’s stuck in Social Network – a limited range, but Ruffalo feels like he’s stumbled onto this fast-moving action set from one of his more sophisticated indie flicks. Undoubtedly this role was effortless for someone with such a broad range. He’s the one who STEALS the film – it becomes HIS movie. It IS his movie! And in the final scene when the ‘secret’ is revealed, we watch him go from FBI agent to movie star just captivating the audience with that sexy charm that’s 100% Ruffalo. Abracadabra ♕ ♚ ♛