TOGETHER : Tuesday 5th August 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'TOGETHER' this week at my local multiplex, and this Australian and US Co-Produced horror Sci-Fi romance film is from Writer and Director Michael Shanks in his feature film making debut. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing at the Sundance Film Festival in late January this year, went on general release in Canada, the UK, the US, here in Australia and a handful of other territories from last week and for the rest of the world throughout August, September and October. The film has so far grossed US$14M from a production budget of US$7M, and has generated positive critical reviews. 

The film opens with a search party looking for a missing couple Simon and Keri lost it is believed in remote woodland. Two tracker dogs enter an underground cavern and both drink what appears to be fresh water from a well. The owner of the dogs returns them to his house later that evening after the search is called off, locking them inside a pen in the yard for the night. The dogs, sit patiently observing each other. Later that night the owner is woken by strange noises coming from the outdoor pen. He takes a flashlight and investigates what the commotion is all about, only to be horrified by the scene in front of him, as the two dogs have fused together as one. 

We then cut to an apartment in which Millie (Alison Brie) and her long term boyfriend Tim (Dave Franco [real life married couple Franco and Brie who also both Co-Produce here]) are hosting a leaving party with their closest friends as Millie has secured a job in the country teaching elementary school English, while Tim is a struggling musician. At the party, Tim gives a stilted speech after which Millie gets down on one knee and proposes marriage to him, to which he hesitates to reply only embarrassing her. 

Having moved into their new home in an isolated house in the country, the pair one fine day decide to go for an exploratory hike through the woods. However, a rainstorm closes in and the pair quickly become drenched through and lose their bearings. Tim falls into a cave partially concealed by undergrowth and Mille follows. With the rain pouring down they decide to camp inside for the night, and light a fire. Tim drinks from a pool in the cave, says it's fresh water and is good to drink, and fills a water bottle for Millie.

Upon waking up the next morning, Tim and Millie find their legs partially stuck together but dismiss the incident after separating, with Tim saying that it's just mildew. Tim begins to experience episodes where he becomes inexplicably and almost magnetically physically drawn to Millie, confusing and frustrating them both. Millie's coworker from the school, Jamie (Damon Herriman), shows up at their home to welcome them to the neighbourhood, and she invites him in for an impromptu dinner, which Tim cooks because Millie can't. The couple recollect their experience at the cave, which Jamie explains was a New Age church before it caved in some years ago. 

Millie drops Tim off at the train station for a gig, because Tim can't drive and doesn't have a license. She tells him to enjoy his night of freedom and to not worry about coming home, to which he reluctantly agrees. As the train pulls up Tim experiences another episode and drags himself to Millie's workplace, leaving his guitar and his gear on the platform. An outraged Millie confronts him in a boys toilet block whereupon they have sex in a cubicle, after which their genitals become stuck together. After they painfully force themselves to separate, Jamie who by now has entered the boys toilet having been alerted by a young lad, tells Millie to clean herself up as he sees blood running down her leg. As he turns to leave he sees Tim feet as he steps down from the toilet bowl having tried to conceal himself. Millie later visits Jamie's house to apologise. In the ensuing conversation, she begins to open up about some of the problems she and Tim have been facing in their relationship. Jamie relates Plato's theory of the nature and origin of eros and encourages her not to let go of her 'other half', then reminisces on his relationship with his seemingly deceased husband. Millie leaves quickly after spotting a disoriented Tim lurking outside looking in.

Tim visits a doctor, who dismisses his symptoms as panic attacks brought on by a sudden change in their surroundings and their new more relaxed lifestyle. He prescribes Tim muscle relaxant pills before mentioning that a local couple, Simon and Keri, recently went missing in the locale. Using data extracted from their social media photos, Tim discovers that they visited the same cave he and Millie fell into after noticing the same symbols surrounding the cave on their uploaded posts. Tim unsuccessfully tries to convince Millie that the two of them may suffer whatever fate Simon and Keri did. 

That night, Millie suggests to Tim that should sleep in separate bedrooms, but later they are supernaturally drawn together, causing their bodies to contort in unnatural ways until their arms become fused. They manage to prevent further fusion after consuming Tim's pills in a panic before passing out. 

Tim awakens bound to a chair with Gaffer Tape, where Millie saws through their fused limb with a battery powered hand saw. With both their arms heavily bandaged, Millie decides to drive them to the hospital, but realises she had left her keys at Jamie's house. Tim promises to wait for her while she retrieves them, but secretly returns to the cave in an attempt to locate Simon and Keri, and finds them partially fused together as a grotesque humanoid. 

Meanwhile, Millie enters Jamie's house after seemingly finding no one at home, and finds a small TV playing, in what appears to be a walk-in-robe, the wedding tape of two men she does not recognise, and featuring the depiction of a ritual in which the men appear to fuse together. Jamie appears out of the darkness and is revealed to be the result of that fusion. He promises that they are happier after 'becoming whole' and implores Millie to complete the fusion process with Tim. When she resists, he cuts her arm down lengthways the same way his constituents had their arms cut in the tape, before she is able to escape.

Millie reunites with Tim in the driveway of their home. He attempts to commit suicide by slitting his throat to save Millie, despite her pleading with him not to. Her wound from Jamie nearly causes her to fatally bleed out, but Tim saves her by fusing his arm to her wound. Accepting their fate, the two affirm their mutual love, strip down naked and slow dance to '2 Become 1' by Millie's favourite pop group The Spice Girls, embracing as they fuse together into a singular being. That following Sunday Millie's parents arrive as planned for lunch. They clang the door bell with a physical bell retrieved from the cave, and are greeted by a seemingly normal, androgynous person, that is a mix of Millie's and Tim's facial characteristics, who says simply 'Hi!'. 

Here first time feature film Director Michael Shanks has delivered us an impressive debut that is at once darkly humorous, anxiety inducing, and a bold examination of codependency, paranoia and a seemingly unwavering reliance upon the devil you know. Real life partners Dave Franco and Alison Brie prove that they are up for anything as their bodies contort, writhe and ultimately bond together to become one, and their on (and clearly off) set chemistry shines in their performances. This film won't be for everyone, but for fans of body horror, a tight and taught script, and squirm inspiring practical effects, 'Together' is up there as a must see for aficionado's of the genre.

'Together' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE DISASTER ARTIST : Wednesday 6th December 2017.

'THE DISASTER ARTIST' which I saw this week, is based on the now cult classic for all the wrong reasons, 'The Room' which was released in 2003 and Written, Produced, Directed and starred Tommy Wiseau at a cost out of his own pocket of US$6M. At the time of its limited release it was panned by Critics for its bizarre and unconventional storytelling and various technical and narrative flaws, was described as 'the Citizen Kane of bad movies' and others have touted it as one of the worst films ever made. Upon its release in one single theatre, the film took US$1,800 at the Box Office over the two week period of its screening. Originally labelled as an independent romantic drama film, the movie found cult status subsequently and continues to be shown in limited screenings at select theatres to this day and as a result, the film has more than recovered its budget outlay. Wiseau retrospectively characterised the film as a black comedy, even though audiences have generally viewed it as a poorly-made drama, a viewpoint supported by some of the film's cast. In 2013 Greg Sestero, the films other principal Actor published a memoir titled 'The Disaster Artist : My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Film Ever Made' about the making of 'The Room' which has inspired this film. The film was shown at TIFF back in September and took out the top prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and has garnered generally positive Reviews with James Franco in particular being praised for both his Direction and starring roles.

And so James Franco Directs, Co-Produces and stars in this biographical comedy drama offering that features him as Tommy Wiseau, with his brother Dave Franco cast as Greg Sestero. Charting the meeting and early friendship between Wiseau and Sestero which occurred via acting classes in San Francisco back in 1998, and over the following months the two strike up a close, and at times somewhat bizarre friendship. Sharing a dream to make it big in Hollywood, Wiseau persuades Sestero to move with him to Los Angeles where Wiseau owns an apartment centrally located for tinsel town and where they'll be able to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers of the movie industry.

However, fairly quickly their combined hopes and dreams come crashing down around their ears after rejection follows rejection, despite Sestero being signed up quickly by one of the top casting agents of the time. One early evening feeling dejected and at a particularly low ebb, Sestero mentions to Wiseau that they should just make their own film. Wiseau takes Sestero's suggestion literally, and over the next three years spends his time writing his own screenplay, called 'The Room', which he presents to his friend in a diner upon completion to be the first person to read it through.

Recognising that the story is totally incoherent, Sestero acknowledges that the script is great to massage Wiseau's ego. Wiseau offers his friend the lead role of Mark, and also makes him a Co-Producer of the film. The pair then go in search of a production company and find one in North Hollywood. Wiseau is insistent that he wants to buy outright all the camera equipment despite the normal arrangement being to rent because of the cost prohibitive nature of outright equipment purchase. He further insists on shooting with two cameras - 35mm and HD digital simultaneously, which just doubles the cost of production unnecessarily, but Wiseau is adamant that he is a filmmaker with a vision destined for greatness, and this is the way its gonna be.

The production company introduces Wiseau and Sestero to Rafael Smadja (Paul Scheer) and Sandy Schklair (Seth Rogen) as Cinematographer and script supervisor respectively, with the latter doubling up as Wiseau's surrogate Director. Production on the planned forty day shoot starts out reasonably well all things considered, but as time progresses Wiseau grows increasingly short tempered, angry, self centred and more demanding of his cast and crew putting his own failings aside and blaming everyone for his shortcomings but himself. He forgets his lines, turns up late almost every day, won't provide the basic needs like air conditioning and water on a stinking hot day while filming inside and verbally abuses his cast and crew with increasing regularity.

Needless to say the crew grow more and more resentful of Wiseau, culminating in an on set showdown in which Smadja reaches the end of his tether and is briefly fired. Wiseau also reveals that he knows that everybody hates him having seen the extensive behind-the-scenes footage being constantly filmed during production, and how nobody, including Sestero, shares his vision for the film. Having gone way over schedule, on the last day of shooting back in San Francisco where it all began, Sestero and Wiseau fight questioning his age, background and source of income which has been a constant source of doubt since they first met, and to which Wiseau has been especially aloof. They part company and don't see each other for approaching a year - until the world Premier of 'The Room' in fact.

At the Premier of 'The Room' to which Sestero has been invited by Wiseau and reluctantly attends, the pair are pleasantly surprised to see the entire cast and crew turn out for the event, and a packed theatre. Wiseau makes an introduction and announces his film. As the film begins to unfold, the audience increasingly erupt into bouts of laughter over just how wrong the film is on almost every level. Wiseau initially leaves the theatre half way through the screening, but is halted from leaving by Sestero who comforts him saying that whilst it may not have been the reaction he was wishing for, the audience are having a great time nonetheless. As the end credits roll, Wiseau returns to a standing ovation.

You don't need to have seen 'The Room' to appreciate what this film is all about. James Franco nails it as Tommy Wiseau in what may yet prove to be a career defining role. Rather than paint a picture that lauds up the source movie with ridicule and rejection, he here delivers a character and a story of unwavering passion and unrelenting dedication to his craft that makes you feel an empathy towards Wiseau, despite his failings. Also worthy of note is the faithful recreation of scenes from 'The Room' duplicated with exacting detail on 'The Disaster Artist' - many of which are shown side by side in the closing credits sequence - all kudos here to the production team, and the cast too for their near seamless performances in re-creating those from the original film.  Also starring Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Alison Brie, Jackie Weaver, Sharon Stone, Melanie Griffith, Zoey Deutch with celebrity cameo's from the likes of Bryan Cranston, Zach Braff, J.J. Abrams, Danny McBride, Judd Apatow, Kevin Smith, Keegan-Michael Key, Lizzy Caplan, Kristen Bell amongst others, here Franco has united an ensemble cast the likes of which have not been seen in a single film for a very long time. We never do discover just how old Wiseau really is, or what his origins are, or indeed where he got his funds from to support his lifestyle and the production of the film, but this is part of the mystique surrounding the filmmaker and his project 'The Room' - a film so bad, it's good! This is a good film about the making of a bad film that is certainly worth the price of your movie ticket.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 12th-18th June 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Dave Franco does on 12th June - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 31, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 12th June

• Dave Franco - Born 1985, turns 31 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Richard Ayoade - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Frances O'Connor - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress

Monday 13th June

• Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen - Born 1986, turn 30 - Actresses | Producers  
• Ally Sheedy - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actress
• Tim Allen - Born 1953, turns 63 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Stellen Skarsgard - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actor | Producer
• Simon Callow - Born 1949, turns 67 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Malcolm McDowell - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor | Producer
• Chris Evans - Born 1981, turns 35 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Born 1990, turns 26 - Actor
• Kodi Smit-McPhee - Born 1996, turns 20 - Actor

Tuesday 14th June

• Will Patton - Born 1954, turns 62 - Actor
• Diablo Cody - Born 1978, turns 38 - Writer | Producer | Director  

Wednesday 15th June

• Pia Miranda - Born 1973, turns 43 - Actress
• Courtney Cox - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Helen Hunt - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director 
• James Belushi - Born 1954, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Ice Cube aka O'Shea Jackson - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Jake Busey - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Neil Patrick Harris - Born 1973, turns 43 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer 

Thursday 16th June

• Daniel Bruhl - Born 1978, turns 38 - Actor
• John Cho - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actor
• Arnold Vosloo - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actor | Producer  

Friday 17th June

• Ken Loach - Born 1936, turns 80 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Bobby Farrelly - Born 1958, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Thomas Haden Church - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Greg Kinnear - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Jason Patric - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
• Will Forte - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer  
• Louis Leterrier - Born 1973, turns 43 - Producer | Director

Saturday 18th June

• Paul McCartney - Born 1942, turns 74 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Writer | Actor | Producer | Director
• Richard Madden - Born 1986, turns 30 - Actor
• Barbara Broccoli - Born 1960, turns 56 - Producer
• Isabella Rossellini - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director  

David John Franco was born in Palo Alto, California to mother Betsy Verne, a poet, author, editor and occasional Actress, and father Eugene Franco a business owner/operator in Silicone Valley who passed away in 2011. He is the younger brother of Actors James and the lesser known Tom. Franco grew up in California where he attended the University of Southern California with designs on becoming a high school creative writing teacher. However, his brother James' Manager led him to take up theatre classes in his second year at University where his interest in acting was first sparked.

His acting career kicked off with '7th Heaven' in 2006 for The CW Television Network in which he appeared in a single episode. That same year he appeared in the short film 'Frat Boys' before scoring a place on 'Superbad' in 2007 with the likes of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Emma Stone. The film was generally well received and took US$170M from its US$20M outlay. Later that year was 'After Sex' in which he starred as one half of a couple having conversations after sex, whilst exploring the modern day complexities of relationships as seen through the eyes, hearts and minds of seven other couples.

2008 saw five episodes on 'Do Not Disturb' (seven episodes were filmed, four aired and then promptly the show was cancelled). 'Greek' was next which ran for 74 episodes over four seasons with Franco gaining a spot on six, and then came 'Privileged' which aired for eighteen episodes over just one season in which Franco appeared in five. 'Milk' also came out that year in which Franco played a small role alongside brother James, Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin and Victor Garber. The film was critically very well received and made back almost three times its production budget. Seeing out the decade was the low budget direct to DVD horror thriller 'The Shortcut', a short film never released called 'A Fuchsia Elephant', and thirteen episodes in the ninth and final series of 'Scrubs'.

The new decade launched with the Noah Baumbach Written and Directed 'Greenberg' with Ben Stiller, Rhys Ifans, Greta Gerwig, Brie Larson, Juno Temple and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film was positively received but it made less than 25% of its production costs. 'Charlie St. Cloud' followed later that year with Zac Efron, Ray Liotta and Kim Bassinger, with 'The Broken Tower' following. This film was Directed, Written, Produced, Edited and starring his brother James Franco, his mother Betsy and Michael Shannon and made by James as part of his film-making thesis for New York University. 'Fright Night' - the remake of the 1985 film of the same name also starred Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Toni Collette and Imogen Poots and received critical acclaim and the recovery of its budget. Comedy horror 'Bad Meat' saw out 2011.

The Dave Franco penned short film 'Would You' also starred his mother Betsy and once again Christopher Mintz-Plasse. 2012 also saw '21 Jump Street' with Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, and Brie Larson - he would reprise his role in the 2014 sequel, '22 Jump Street' albeit uncredited, together with a bunch of other uncredited appearances by Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Anna Faris and Queen Latifah. The 2013 ZomRomCom 'Warm Bodies' with Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer and John Malkovich did well critically and commercially in which he also starred.


This gave way to his first turn as Jack Wilder - one of the Four Horsemen, in 'Now You See Me' opposite Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Isla Fisher. Although the film received mixed Reviews, it made US$352M from its US$75M budget outlay and spawned a very recently released sequel 'Now You See Me : The Second Act' in which Franco reprises his role. 'NYSM 3' has already been announced, and was so as early as a year ago already. The 2014 'Lego Movie' starred an ensemble voice cast that included Franco in a voice cameo, with a sequel in the works too for a May 2018 release date given the critical acclaim and the US$470M haul it took. 'Bad Neighbours' followed with Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne and regular running mate Christopher Mintz-Plasse which again on the strength of its US$271M Box Office take spawned a sequel earlier this year for which Franco also reprised his role. So far the Box Office receipts for the second instalment 'Bad Neighbours 2 : Sorority Rising' stands so far at just US$91M.

Last year there was 'Unfinished Business' with Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Frost and Sienna Miller which tanked commercially and critically. In the meantime there were television series appearances on 'Young Justice' and 'Other Space' and the upcoming Netflix comedy series 'Easy'. There have also been multiple videos on the comedy video website 'Funny or Die' in which Franco has starred, Written and/or Directed.





Next up is 'Zeroville' Directed by brother James and also starring brother James with Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell and Megan Fox it tells the story of a late 60's Hollywood and the change the film industry was going through at that time. Franco here plays screen legend Montgomery Clift. Also Directed by James Franco and to follow up is 'The Masterpiece' with Zac Efron (again), Seth Rogen (again), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (again), Bryan Cranston, Josh Hutchinson, Alison Brie and Sharon Stone that looks behind the scenes of the making of that cult film for all the wrong reasons - 'The Room' in 2003. Then there is 'Nerve' with Juliette Lewis and Emma Roberts and 'The Little Hours' for 2017 with Alison Brie and John C. Reilly.

All up Franco has 41 Acting credits, eight Writer credits, three as Producer and one as Director. He has three award wins and one other nomination. He has been engaged to Actress and occasional Co-Star Alison Brie since August 2015.

Dave Franco - younger brother to multi-talented James Franco but determined not to be overshadowed by him and to carve out his own career in the movie business; good buddies and frequent collaborator on screen and off it with Christopher Mintz-Plasse; describes himself as small & shifty, a cat person and the proud owner of two, tough critically on himself and not comedic. With that determination, those credentials and your track record to date things will undoubtedly continue on the up for you. Happy Birthday Dave, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

NOW YOU SEE ME - THE SECOND ACT : Wednesday 8th June 2016.

'NOW YOU SEE ME : THE SECOND ACT' is the follow up to 2013's first instalment in this magic heist adventure offering that was Directed by Louis Leterrier, comprised an all star cast, and despite its largely mixed critical reviews it made US$352M from its US$75M production budget and was therefore hailed a commercial success at least. Three short years later, and as if by magic we have a sequel up our sleeve, this time Directed by Jon M. Chu with much of that original line up reprising their roles. This film had a bigger budget than the first at US$90M and was released in Australia largely ahead of the rest of the world with its Stateside release on 10th June and the rest of the world thereafter. As long ago as a year, Lionsgate Films announced that 'Now You See Me 3' was already in the planning stages, so its very much looks like our intrepid, daring 'Four Horsemen' will survive to ride another day, and perform more sleight of hand for your disbelieving pleasure with plenty more tricks up their sleeves.

Essentially one year on from cleverly outwitting the FBI with a grand illusion to end all grand illusions whilst winning over the confidence, respect, support and adulation of the general public, 'The Four Horsemen' (no, not those from 'X-Men : Apocalypse') - Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and new girl on the block replacing Isla Fisher, Lula (Lizzy Caplan) reappear for an encore performance in the hopes of exposing the unethical dealings of a tech magnate who is about to launch a new smart phone on the world that will gobble up all your personal and private data and use it for seemingly unscrupulous means to become all controlling. Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) meanwhile leads The Four Horsemen covertly whilst 'working' for the FBI in supposedly tracking down The Four Horsemen, but along the way sending those authority figures on a merry hunt half way around the world to maintain their cover, their disappearing act for over a year now, and allowing them to go about their business largely unhindered.

Assembled, and with another grand illusion at the ready, The Four Horsemen prepare to make their mark on a Conference/Exhibition Hall where this latest smart phone is to be revealed on an unsuspecting world. When things go awry and Rhodes plan is scuppered by the FBI, the illusionists need to make a quick exit stage left. In doing so, they escape via a roof top and slide down a construction shute that is meant to exit them in an awaiting truck several stories below . . . but instead they emerge in a Chinese looking kitchen with surprised Chefs rattling the pans all around them. They walk out of the kitchen dazed and confused into a bustling restaurant and quickly learn that they are in downtown Macau - WTF just happened they exclaim looking totally bewildered.

As they quickly gather their thoughts, they are welcomed by Chase McKinney (Woody Harrelson) - the estranged twin brother of Merritt, and who has a serious axe to grind against his brother, and vice versa. Suffice to say there is no love lost between them. The four get loaded up into an obligatory black 4WD and taken off across town to meet devious tech wizard Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe). Meanwhile Rhodes is back on the other side of the world wondering where the hell his Four Horsemen are, and their phones are unresponsive.

Mabry announces that he engineered their 'abduction' to Macau and explains how he preformed that trick, and reveals that in exchange for their freedom from his clutches and those of the FBI, he requires them to steal a micro-chip embedded in a playing card sized sliver of plastic. The chip has the ability to hack into any computer in the world, decrypt any code, break any password and reveal the most secret, sensitive information to the holder of said chip. Of the four, only Atlas agrees and so the others are forced to go along with the plan, and have 24 hours to do so. They swing into action visiting the worlds oldest magic store which just happens to be there is Macau, for some essential supplies with which to pull off this daring heist from a heavily guarded technical fortress.

Meanwhile back on American soil, Rhodes receives a phone call from Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) who is locked up in a prison cell, having been put there by Rhodes himself as a result of his antics in the first film. With Rhodes now being chased down by the FBI who have worked out his cunning agenda, he reluctantly reaches out to Bradley who claims he knows the whereabouts of The Four Horsemen, and will reveal their location in exchange for a 24 hour leave pass. Bradley and Rhodes arrive in Macau after the Four Horsemen have deftly and with remarkable sleight of hand acquired the microchip, with Atlas waiting in a downtown market to hand over the merchandise to Mabry and his henchmen. At that point Atlas is intercepted by Rhodes, and a fight breaks out as Atlas gets away with the chip leaving Rhodes to fend off the others after Mabry reveals his intentions towards them were hardly genuine.

When the dust settles Rhodes and The Four Horsemen reunite to ponder their next move. Aided by the magic shop owner and her son, they devise a cunning plan to beat Mabry at his own game - in London on New Years Eve where they will stage their greatest illusion yet, and they let the world know of their imminent arrival. In the meantime, we have learnt that Mabry is the illegitimate son of Arthur Tressler (who The Four Horsemen tricked out of millions of dollars in the first film), and so he has his own agenda to rid the world of Rhodes and his four magicians, and has Bradley on side too.

As the action moves to London on NYE The Four Horsemen assemble at various points across the city and each gather a crowd of expectant on lookers ready to see their magical mastery up close & personal. Behind the scenes the FBI has gathered ready to nab Rhodes and The Four Horsemen when they appear. Mabry & Tressler have also touched down still hunting the chip, and so they too are in hot pursuit. What follows is a cat and mouse game across a busy London on NYE as the FBI close in but as usual are one step behind the bad guys who have captured Rhodes, Atlas, McKinney, Lula and Wilder and intend to make off with them by private jet and dispose of them once the chip is in their safe hands. But of course, the gang of grand illusionists have a few tricks up their sleeve which ensures the downfall of Mabry, Tressler and Chase in front of a worldwide audience.

In the final analysis, Rhodes, Atlas, McKinney, Wilder and Lula convene in Greenwich when the dust has settled and the FBI are off their scent. There Rhodes meets with Bradley who reveals his true identity as a close friend and business partner to Rhodes' father, Lionel Shrike (Richard Laing) who died when the young Dylan was just eight years of age performing an illusion that went horribly wrong. Also revealed are three other members of 'The Eye' who we were introduced to earlier in the film, as Bradley bids his farewells from his office headquarters.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this film. It moves along at a cracking pace and the cast are strong enough both individually and as an ensemble to complete this magic circle and make it greater than the sum of its parts. The illusions and the magic are well orchestrated if somewhat stretched in their plausibility, but then hey, this is a film about master illusionists writ large and their ability to perform feats of magic on a grand scale, so you'll need to suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride. The one flaw in this tale for me is the ability for the gang to perform their illusions on such a grand scale so quickly using very limited time and resources and pull everything off so successfully. There's no months, not even weeks, of pre-planning, preparations, rehearsals, assembling a crew, fine tuning, checking and double checking that everything works and is at it should be . . . but then I guess this is the magic of Hollywood, and why let practical details get in the way of a good story. It is worth the price of your ticket, it delivers exactly what you would expect from the first film, and as sequels go, it ain't bad!

 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-