The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

Movie Review: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)


The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

Presto!

I am happy to announce that The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is the best comedy of 2013. Of course, that’s not saying very much considering that comedies released this year have included “Identity Thief,” “Parental Guidance,” “The Guilt Trip” and “21 and Over,” among others, and that JFK’s memorial service would have been funnier by comparison. And while the movie did contain a few solid laughs, it was simply a case where there was potential for more — so much more.

Especially with the cast, which includes Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi as the title character and Anton Marvelton, respectively, as a couple of Siegfried and Roy knockoffs (without the tigers), Jim Carrey as a Jesse James/David Blaine illusionist, and Alan Arkin (fresh off his Academy Award-nominated role in “Argo“) as legendary magician Rance Holloway.

The first problem director Don Scardino (with TV series such as “2 Broke Girls” and “30 Rock” under his belt) has is making Carell (who has earned legitimate guffaws in “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and his stint on “The Office“) — as the burnt-out Las Vegas Strip magician who has a falling out with his partner and then hits the skids — the main character and plotline. With Carell almost sleepwalking through the role and blasé to the point of extreme irritation (think “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World,” only more low key), we’re drawn to other characters, such as Buscemi’s clueless Anton (although he was much funnier getting shot in the face and stuffed into a wood-chipper in “Fargo“) or Arkin, who steals every scene he is in as the grumpy old Holloway, reminding viewers of one of those smarmy magicians of the past who either bragged about being on “The Merv Griffin Show,” or, who, like Marshall Brodien, plugged magic trick sets for children and used the catchphrase, “Magic is easy once you know how.” His small role he could have – no, should have — been expanded, since he is easily the best thing about The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.

Then there’s Carrey, who seems so ticked off at Hollywood for his deserved — but not recognized – Oscar-caliber performances in “The Truman Show,” “Man on the Moon” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” that he went off in a huff and made films such as “Yes Man” and “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.” Here, as Steve Gray, he is not so much a magician as a crazed self-mutilator whose stunts (he pulls a bloody playing card from his cheek, lies down on a bed of hot coals, holds in his urine for weeks at a time and becomes a human piñata) are more disgusting and stomach-churning than crowd-pleasing. He is also a jerk to boot, so with him and Carell chewing up the lion’s share of the screen time, there isn’t much for viewers to do but wait for Arkin.

And that isn’t a very magical experience, although a short birthday party sequence begins well, but turns sour when Gray interrupts and everything gets dark and gloomy . . . again.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

Wonderstone and his assistant.

Oh, and then there are a few more incidental actors who come and go, including James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos“) as Vegas magnate Doug Munny, Olivia Wilde (“The Change-Up,” speaking of no laughs), as Burt’s tepid love interest, and Jay Mohr (“Jerry Maguire”) as fellow showman, Rick the Implausible. Unfortunately, none of them bring any more humorous situations to the table than Carell or Carrey do. That, plus a witless conclusion that has Gray drilling a hole through his head and other entertainers attempting to make an entire audience disappear by drugging them, is almost too ludicrous to consider, let alone comprehend.

That ending isn’t as much of a crime as making a decent premise, real smiles, quality entertainment and viewers hard-earned bucks disappear into thin air, however. See The Incredible Burt Wonderstone if you want a few belly laughs, but do not expect much more and I will not reveal any more than that.

Critical Movie Critic Rating:
2 Star Rating: Bad

2

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The Critical Movie Critics

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.


'Movie Review: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)' have 11 comments

  1. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 4:18 pm i-said-so

    I liked it. And it was good to see Jim Carrey find that outrageousness again that made him so likable.

    • The Critical Movie Critics

      March 16, 2013 @ 8:44 pm Grant

      He wasn’t Ace Ventura outrageous though. Now that would have been an interesting character to watch pull a playing card from his face!

  2. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 4:29 pm Magic Is Queer

    What? How the hell can a movie starring Steve Carell and Jim Carrey about pathetic magicians in ridiculous costumes not be funny?

    • The Critical Movie Critics

      March 15, 2013 @ 8:02 pm Kandric

      Start with half-assed writing.

  3. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 4:47 pm auntiethesis

    I agree on every point of this review except for thinking Carell is sleepwalking through his role. He isn’t sleepwalking; if you look at every role he’s had, he’s just not an animated – or particularly funny – guy.
    The one sleepwalking through the picture is Olivia Wilde.

  4. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 5:11 pm Gino

    that sucks. this was one of few movies i was looking foward to seeing.

  5. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 5:58 pm ClawlessCrab

    The funniest thing about Wonderstone is his hair style.

  6. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 6:48 pm Bryan

    Your review verifies my first take on the movie.

  7. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 7:30 pm Upright_Uptight

    This just totally missed the mark. The best the audience I watched it with did was put out a few nervous laughs because they knew they were supposed to laugh.

  8. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 15, 2013 @ 10:33 pm Choo

    It reminded me to much of the Will Ferrell sports comedies. I didn’t like them, so I knew to avoid this.

  9. The Critical Movie Critics

    March 16, 2013 @ 12:11 pm Rickscape

    ?? Abra-abra-cadabra
    I want to reach out and grab ya
    Abra-abra-cadabra ??

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