THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

In a year where I’ve poured hours into a ton of franchises with varying returns, I’m not sure why I saw the Now You See Me franchise through. I didn’t love either of the first two movies, even though the premises had a lot of potential, but I figured that I should go see the third film since I got all the way here. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t did just about everything the first two films did right, as well as what they did wrong.

The magic and spectacle continued to be the calling card for this franchise, with a number of really cool stunts and tricks, especially the first one that the younger magicians staged. I did think, though, that this movie leaned the hardest into the “magicians are now superheroes” idea, which I really didn’t love. I’d really appreciate a magic film that utilizes actual, practical magic and sleight of hand, but those moments were few and far between.

The cast continued to be highly billed without a ton of chemistry, though I did enjoy some of the contributions of the new magicians. Dominic Sessa was probably my favorite of the three, but Smith and Greenblatt each had their moments, too. I also was undecided on Rosamund Pike, who had the menacing presence needed for her villain but a really weird and inconsistent accent as well.

A couple of the cast members seem like they’re reaching the end of their time with the franchise, though. Clearly, Morgan Freeman is done for two reasons, but Harrelson didn’t bring the heat either. Jesse Eisenberg definitely needs out—after seeing A Real Pain last year, it’s clear that no one directs Eisenberg like Eisenberg, and watching him read these smooth-brained lines was—excuse the word play—a real pain.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t didn’t push the envelope in the way that the franchise needed, but it was still a pretty entertaining time. I think future films—and there’s already one greenlit—will benefit from the infusion of youth with Smith, Greenblatt, and Sessa, but what this series needs most desperately is a competent director. Someone needs to crank up the artistry in these movies, and I’m hoping that it starts with Now You See Me 4.