September 4, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II, III & IV • Page 19 Magicians team up for the ultimate heist by Dennis Seuling “Now You See Me” (Summit Entertainment) is about four magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Har- relson, and Dave Franco), each with a specific skill, who team up as the Four Horsemen to stage a glitzy Vegas stage act that culminates in the robbery of a French bank. Though the police have no idea how they pulled it off, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol agent Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent) are called in to learn the secret behind the magic. This is a stylish picture with an unusually fine cast that includes Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. Director Louis Leterrier moves the film along briskly, as the four magicians remain deceptively cool while under intense scrutiny from the law. Leterrier performs his own act of prestidigitation as he covers a lot of plot loopholes with cin- ematic pizzazz, a feat not altogether surprising in a movie about misdirection, smoke and mirrors, and illusion. This is a real popcorn movie: It is lots of fun while one is watching it, but does not have lingering substance. After watching it, several questions will arise, but by then one has gone along for the ride. A stronger, tighter script would have made “Now You See Me” truly stand out. As is, it is both a diverting excursion into a glamorous world of mega- stardom and an above-average caper film. Bonuses on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include the extended director’s cut with 16 minutes of never-before- seen footage, audio commentary with director Louis Leter- rier, an overview of the history of magic, deleted scenes, and a making-of featurette. “Arthur Newman” (Cinedigm) is a tale of two unlikely Jesse Eisenberg stars as world class magician J. Daniel Atlas in ‘Now You See Me.’ individuals who encounter one another during a particu- larly difficult midlife crisis. Wallace Avery (Colin Firth) despises his job. He has blown his one shot at living his dream and his relationships are in a shambles. Not want- ing to face his depressing life, he stages his own death and purchases a new identity as Arthur Newman. But his hope- filled new life is soon interrupted by beautiful, reckless, exciting Mike (Emily Blunt). Mike is troubled and is also leaving her life behind. Together, they set out on a road trip, stealing the identities of those they encounter and engaging in an elaborate game of role play and crime that leads far from home. Though intended as a lightly comic screen romance, the film comes off as rather somber. Both Firth and Blunt are fine, and their widely different characters make for some dramatic tension, but the movie has a feeling of incomplete- ness -- as if the script still needed work. Director Dante Ariola tentatively explores the theme of how a person feels as compared to how he is perceived by others, but never adequately ties this in with the narrative. The only extra on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is a behind-the-scenes featurette. “The Fugitive” (Warner Home Video) celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a new Blu-ray edition. Based on the 1960s classic TV series, “The Fugitive” won seven Acad- emy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Chicago surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), unjustly accused of murdering his wife, must find the real killer, and the reason for the slaying, after being targeted in a nation- wide manhunt led by tenacious United States Deputy Mar- shal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones). Co-starring are Sela Ward, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbe, and Julianne Moore. The film is highlighted by an early scene involving a train wreck, in which several cars derail and come hurtling toward Kimble. Today, such a scene would be concocted with technology. But director Andrew Davis used an actual (continued on Crossword page)