The cast, firstly, was near-wonderful. The Michael Caine + Morgan Freeman combo took me down a much-needed Dark Night memory lane, Dave Franco does his brother proud (oh, they are so alike, it's heart-warming) and Woody Harrelson is the absolute gem of the Four Horsemen.
I'm a bit inclined - forgive my partisan views - to dismiss Jessie Eisenberg entirely but I must grudgingly admit that he was possibly the best actor in the film. The reason for my Eisenberg-enmity is this video. The interviewer was (annoyingly) untactful at times, but there was no reason for Jessie to be such a dick/misogynist.
Back to the movie - it was gripping and full of clever plot twists... except for, of course, THE FINAL ONE. Maybe it's just me, but Mark Ruffalo's character simply was not COOL enough to be THE EYE; why expose Dylan Rhodes as an incompetent cop, label him the staple antagonist (arguable) and then reveal him to be the hottest shot possible? Alma would've been a better 'eye.' On that note, Dylan and Alma's relationship was so unshippable (forgive me, this is the only time this term will appear on my blog) that it was cringeworthy (ditto). Melanie Laurent was dreadfully undermined.
This film was - in a matter of minutes - transformed from an entertaining spectacle to a classic avenge-my-father-mission with a hackneyed and (I quote) "simply unsatisfying" denouement.
What was the big deal with the eye and all the odd letters on the cards (a Hermit, Death, a High Priestess, and a Lover)? I see the jack-death connection, but the rest are not so obvious?
This is a brilliantly entertaining movie that needs a sequel to patch up gaps.
