Cert 12A
115 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex references, violence, threat and strong language
As Ross and Rachel might say... we have been "on a break.''
It's just been too damned hot to go to the cinema and, in any case, I have been ploughing through a bag of movies on DVD preview screeners and internet links sent by film companies at home.
However, it was high time I returned to Nottingham Cineworld to catch up with the summer's big releases.
And I was really looking forward to Louis Leterrier's Now You See Me, not at all put off by Morgan Freeman literally sleeping through one of his promotional interviews.
Thankfully, this thriller which surrounds four magicians (Woody Harreslon, Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco) who steal from banks and give the money to their audiences, didn't prompt me to follow him into the land of nod.
The quartet are recruited by a mystery man to form a team which puts on ultra-extravagant shows with the Robin Hood-style punchline.
As more stunts are pulled they have to stage disappearing acts from the FBI and Interpol's finest (Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent), who are hot on their case.
Now You See Me's script has many taut layers with the cocky foursome backed by an equally arrogant benefactor (Michael Caine).
Meanwhile, they are under the scrunity of a magic-debunker (Morgan Freeman).
The illusions are spectacular, the chase scenes impressive and the plot boasts more twists and turns than any film this year.
Meanwhile, Harrelson and Eisenberg are the pick of a very strong cast.
Indeed, the only minus point with the film is that it never quite lives up to its stunningly good opening few minutes which had left me salivating like Pavlov's Dog.
And that is why it just lands short of one of the films of the year.
Laughs: three
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 8.5/10