Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2013

What we got here is an all-star Ocean’s 11 with illusionists. A stage magician, an escape artist, a mentalist and a small-time trickster (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson & Dave Franco) are summoned together by a mysterious, apparently omniscient mastermind. A year later, backed by a Las Vegas billionaire (Michael Caine), they’ve become Sin City’s hottest attraction, “The Four Horsemen,” performing such illusions as robbing a Parisian bank using “teleportation” without leaving the stage, and then tossing the three-million euro-booty to the audience. But who’s calling the shots here? Morgan Freeman’s a cynical illusion debunker, and Mark Ruffalo’s the dogged FBI agent that thinks the crimes are real, working with Interpol hottie Melanie Laurent. We follow the quartet to picturesque locations like New Orleans and New York for more accomplished tricks. It’s absurd but spirited, and so fast-paced and dazzling you maybe don’t mind the dozens of plot holes and rug-pulls. The obligatory big reveal at the end is kind of disappointing, but with this journey, the pleasure’s in getting there. Not great cinema, and straddles the cusp between dumb and clever, but full of old-school showmanship and fun if you let it be. Japanese title: Grand Illusion. (115 min)