There are two kinds of movie twist: those that cleverly change the audience’s perception of everything that has happened up until that point, and those that are just slapped in with little consequence or rationale, simply for the sake of having a “different” ending.

Now You See Me 2, the boisterous sequel to 2013’s Now You See Me, wants to be like a magician with endless tricks up his sleeve, serving up twist after twist in the apparent hope of inspiring endless marvel in its spectators.

Which it probably will. Though very little of the magic on-screen is actually, you know, magic, the sequel is so generous and zealous about delivering its popcorn-movie extravaganza, it’s hard not to at least applaud its fan-service. The movie’s sense of what constitutes cinematic cleverness is so boneheaded, it ends up creating its own concept of the “twist” — essentially, that a slapped-in about-face, if delivered with thick-skulled conviction, may just end up resembling dramatic meaning.

Director John M. Chu’s CV including dance movie Step Up 2: The Streets and concert film Justin Bieber: Never Say Never may make him seem like an odd choice for what is ostensibly a summer action comedy, but his kinetic vibrancy fits the movie’s targeted tone very well. His camera doesn’t frame the characters as much as throwing them around the scene, resulting in buzzing action that comes closer to a big budget Jackie Chan vehicle (and Chu’s own GI Joe: Retaliation) than magical panache.

In other words, if you came to Now You See Me 2 expecting clever sleight-of-hand presentation, you’re going to be very disappointed. This is essentially Michael Bay magic — hyperactive camera work and propulsive illogicalities that make the constant nonsense so hard to follow, you’re forced to give up trying to make sense of it all and just enjoy the ride. All the tricks here are CGI-bound, and the movie doesn’t bother even trying to explain more than a few.

 The film continues where its predecessor left off, with the film’s heroes, a group of magicians dubbed the Horsemen, still on the run from the police, FBI and Interpol after their last escapade. These guys are Robin Hoodesque A-list celebrities whose fame makes them known around the world. There’s no real sense in trying to summarize the story, as it only acts as a vehicle in which the actors can dispense their smug wit.

 And make no mistake, it is the characters and actors — J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and new recruit Lula (Lizzy Kaplan) — who are responsible for the movie’s success.

Villains’ celebration: Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe, left) and Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) make a toast in a scene from Now You See Me 2.

 The group, alongside FBI agent and secret Horsemen leader Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo, always able to infuse gravitas into the thinnest of roles) work with for-and-against evil mastermind and amateur magician Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) in acquiring a microchip that can access and destroy any computer in the world. Somewhere along the way, a nonchalant Morgan Freeman does his part as an old frenemy with his own tricks up his sleeve.

 Of course, the microchip is essentially a mediocre MacGuffin and the story is completely meaningless. However, along the way Chu is able to set up some fun adventures alongside his cast, creating something close to an Ocean’s Eleven type of affair where the fun is mostly in how the characters interact with each other and their surroundings; blueprints and magical heist-plans abound.

 A gag that involves the group slipping the microchip to one another as they are being body-searched is massively over-complicated but works wonders within the movie’s universe — where magicians are basically gods who are worshipped and able to achieve the most miraculous physical feats.

Now You See Me 2 is one of those movies that, depending on what you expect, will either feel completely brain-dead or “cool and fun”. If you like your entertainment big and loud, go for it. If you’re expecting another The Prestige, you’re going to be sorely grumpy.

Clean as you go: Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) in a scene from Now You See Me 2.

— Photos by Lionsgate
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Now You See Me 2
(Summit Entertainment, 120 minutes)

Directed by: John M. Chu
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Kaplan, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Radcliffe.