Ten years have passed since the last appearance of the Knights of Magic, the group of illusionists composed of Atlas, Merritt, Henley, and Jack, and a packed show, which ends up bankrupting a cryptocurrency speculator, brings them back into the spotlight. But are they really the Four Knights, or just a hologram of them?

A trio of young magic artists, Robin Hood-style social avengers, and staunch environmentalists are trying to establish themselves by capitalizing on the popularity of the previous generation. This attempt hasn’t gone unnoticed by Atlas, especially since the Eye, the organization charged with upholding justice around the world, has asked for the three “wannabees”‘ help in a complex operation: the checkmate of Veronika Vanderberg, the South African heiress to a mining empire that is also a major money laundering hub, and who is auctioning off the largest and most precious stone of all—the Heart Diamond.

The third installment of the Now You See Me saga, Now You See Me – Now You Don’t, is a cavalcade spanning New York, South Africa, the Arabian Desert, Antwerp, France, and the Emirates.

And it’s also a constant juggling act, created both by cutting-edge cinematic techniques and the skill of the lead actors. The original core of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco, aged between 40 and 60, is joined by the trio of Justice Smith, Ariana Greenblatt, and Dominic Sessa, aged between 18 and 30. The confrontation is explicitly generational: “experience and talent versus youth and arrogance,” as Atlas puts it, but also different visions of priorities, underpinned by a shared sense of justice. The group also features some welcome returns, about which we won’t spoil, but those who follow the saga can easily imagine them.

The most charismatic addition to the cast is undoubtedly 23-year-old Sessa, who, after his dazzling debut in The Holdovers, is establishing himself as one of the most exciting new actors. And Rosamund Pike, as Veronika Vanderberg, is an exceptional villain, halfway between a cold and dangerous Hitchcockian beauty and a Bond movie villain: wicked and supremely attractive, perversely brilliant and emotionally inaccessible.

The production clearly felt the need to refresh a format that was at risk of becoming repetitive. The addition of stunning locations, the highlight of which is a magical castle that looks like it was drawn by Escher, and spectacular magic acts ensure the entertainment value that has made the mini-saga such a success. At its core, however, is a concept of wealth redistribution and the realignment of social values ​​that is very relevant these days.

The message is that generations need each other, and that young people also serve to reconnect the elders to their moral duties. To have fun, you have to abandon any pretense of credibility and enjoy the whirlwind of pyrotechnics and digital visual illusions. The recommendation for audiences is therefore to pay attention to some of the clues planted in the screenplay, which lead to the final surprises, and for the rest, ride the visual rollercoaster orchestrated by director Ruben Fleischer, enjoying the ride without asking too many questions.