Blockbuster short on substance

NOW You See Me 2, a caper flick that traces the showy exploits of a band of elite magicians with impossible tricks up their sleeves and sleight-of-hand skills that even David Copperfield might envy, is not what it makes itself out to be.

Despite a knack for breaking into impenetrable bank vaults, exposing the evil ways of greedy corporate types and eluding the FBI with considerable flair and good humour, the Four Horsemen - as these latter-day heistmeisters call themselves - are less than the sum of their parts. The implausible set pieces and flimsy storyline might have something to do with it but the main problem with the film - a sequel to the 2013 original - is that it suffers from being short on substance.

There's no doubt that audiences prefer to watch their summer movies without having to think and this film, directed by Jon M Chu and written by Ed Solomon, conveniently forgoes the need to make much sense. Instead, the tone is bright and breezy but look beyond the razzle-dazzle, the misdirection, and weightier elements such as emotional depth and character development are notably absent. It's the sort of fare that will leave you feeling empty inside.