Basically Rollie is a handyman as familiar with the household hints of Heloise as he is with "Star Wars" gadgetry. Rollie has more in common with the phlegmatic TV scientist than with the average thriller protagonist, and that's the refreshing thing about both "F/X" movies: Invention counts for more than guns and muscles, and smarts for more than boneheaded rage. A cop-turned-shamus, Leo uses his contacts to get to the bottom of things, while his clever partner baffles the bad guys with Mr. Rollie is reunited with an old buddy, Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy), early in the story, though they had just gotten to know each other in the last minutes of the original. With reluctance Rollie agrees to the dangerous scheme, which results in further escapades involving dirty cops, long-lost art objects, the Mafia and the Catholic Church. The three maintain a cordial relationship with her ex-husband (Tom Mason), a police detective who asks Rollie to help set a trap for a killer. In the five years since "F/X," the special effects man has become a successful maker of high-tech toys, with which he delights his girlfriend (Rachel Ticotin) and her 11-year-old son (Dominic Zamprogna). Still, it's an enjoyable bit of smoke and mirrors, thanks to the decency and resourcefulness of its hero. In this second time around for Bryan Brown as special effects whiz Rollie Tyler, the story line is little more than a shiny hat for holding the high-tech rabbits. "FX2: The Deadly Art of Illusion" is gimcrack-packed, but as real movie magic goes, it's a little short on the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo. Children under 13 should be accompanied by a parent
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