November 19, 2025 – I've always been a fan of magic, hence my fondness for this series, and other similar kinds of films, such as “The Sting” (1973) and “Confidence” (2003). While the first sequel of the original 2012 film was inferior, this second sequel is a pure delight.

In this sequel we find a new generation of magicians, inspired by the original Four Horsemen, pulling a magic trick on a corrupt cryptocurrency scammer and returning his money (most of it anyway) to those he defrauded. The young magicians, Charlie (Justice Smith of “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”) Bosco Leroy (Dominic Sessa of “The Holdovers”) and June Rouclere (Ariana Greenblatt of “Barbie”) think they are secure in their hideout, but are not.

In the shadows of their hideout, a familiar figure steps out to confront them after their heist, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) one of the original four horsemen. He tells them that they have been chosen by “The Eye,” a secret magician's organization, for a special mission. Their task is to take down a corrupt diamond merchant, Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike of “Saltburn”) whose family traces its vast wealth back to ties with Nazis.

The task that the magicians take on is to expose Vanderberg's corruption (including murder) and to steal the world's biggest diamond. Shortly after taking on this task, the magicians meet up with the rest of the original Four Horsemen, plus one, Lula May (Lizzy Caplan, who filled in for Henley Reeves in the last sequel). The rest of the Four Horsemen are Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher, reprising her role from the first film), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson, reprising his role) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco also reprising his role).

The magicians use some clever tricks to steal the diamond and to escape Vanderberg's vengeance as she uses her powerful connections to try to get the diamond back. The magicians also have to escape from the police, who are after them because of the diamond theft. Along the way, an old friend of the Four Horsemen shows up, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman, reprising his role).

A series of chases and escapes follows. It is a deadly game of trickery versus brute force, as the magicians try to complete their mission, and Vanderberg tries to get the diamond back and protect her secrets. As usual, the tricks are dazzling, but some are impossible. The first two films also had their share of impossible tricks. It is all in good fun.

As expected, there is some misdirection in the film and some twists about the identity of at least one of the main characters, like the first two movies in this series. There is also an almost ghostlike appearance of Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo, reprising his role from the first two films). As with the first two films, the story includes a setup for another sequel. I am on board with that. This is a very entertaining film. It rates a B.

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