Master’s Trick 3 tries to deceive, but only really gets it right at the end

Master’s Trick: The 3rd Act is now showing in theaters and arrives with the promise of revitalizing the franchise. The new chapter even tries to deliver the grandeur that fans expect, but spends much of its time stuck in choices that seem like repeated tricks. Even with the best score in the trilogy, the film takes a while to find its own rhythm and only shows strength when it finally reaches the final act.

Much of the problem lies in the script, especially in the dialogue, which sounds artificial and not very engaging. The plot seems forced from the beginning and appeals to nostalgia as if the first film were a work distant in time, when in fact it hasn’t been that long. Instead of expanding the universe or deepening its ideas, the film uses references and returns as crutches, without building anything really new.

The connection with the Second World War (1939-1945) appears as an attempt to increase the importance of the narrative, but ends up functioning as a strange graft. The feeling is that the film is trying to increase its scale at any cost, even if this does not match the tone of the franchise. The result is a story that grows in all directions, but doesn’t sustain itself until it finally reaches the part that really works.

Master’s Trick 3 made a big mistake in the script

When the third act begins, the film changes completely. The pace accelerates, the characters gain purpose and magic – literal and figurative – finally appears on the scene. At this point, Master’s Trick: The 3rd Act shows what could have been from the beginning. Still, one gets the impression that everything before that was a great preparation for a future film that should explore and explain The Eye, an organization that the film mentions a lot, but develops little about.

Dominic Sessa is the highlight of the production. After attracting attention in The Rejected, the actor proves that he has a presence in both blockbusters and more intimate works. Even amidst the to-and-fro of debatable tones and creative decisions, he delivers charisma and consistency, stealing the scenes in which he appears and establishing himself as one of the most promising new names in Hollywood.

In the end, Master’s Trick: The 3rd Act tries to be ambitious, but stumbles until it finds its way in the end. The film is fun when it finally gets going, but it takes too long to get there and leaves the clear feeling that it is just an intermediate step towards something bigger that is yet to come.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Trickster 3 reached 59% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The first two films registered 51% and 34%, respectively, on the specialized website. Watch the trailer for the new film below: