Review: 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone'

Warner Bros.

I have only been to a few professional magic shows in in my lifetime but one thing they all had in common was that the messages they presented, while fun, felt somewhat dated  and extremely sappy. So with The Incredible Burt Wonderstone focusing on professional magicians and illusionist, it is only fitting that, as a film, it plays similar to an actual show. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is nowhere near groundbreaking as it feels dated in respects to comedy but at the same time it offers a satisfying message, making it easy to find a little magic.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone begins by explaining how Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) became interested in performing magic and friends with Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi). This opening montage ends in present day with the two performing at their Las Vegas show called The Incredible Burt and Anton: A Magical Friendship. This outdated show is more of a Branson worthy attraction rather than Vegas which is proven by its low attendance. Due to this loss of an audience, Doug Munny (the perfectly casted James Gandolfini), owner of the hotel and casino where Burt and Anton perform, is hesitate to automatically give the duo the honor of performing at his new egotistically named casino and hotel: Doug. Instead he decides to have a competition to find the best act. The front runner is new comer, Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), a David Blaine/Chris Angel like Illusionist. Whether it is sleeping on hot coals or not using the restroom for several days, Steve’s crazy antics have made him the hottest thing on the Vegas strip. Burt and Anton must not only overcome Steve’s popularity but also a rocky friendship and Burt’s pride in order to earn the new venue.

There is nothing incredible about Burt Wonderstone when looking at the character through Steve Carell’s performance. Carell’s delivery and dialect of the arrogant, off stage Wonderstone is so unnatural and inconsistent that it becomes hard not to be annoyed. This is in large part due to the poor casting of this role. Carell is a talented comedic actor but his best work comes when he takes on a ‘fish out of water’ type of character, a character that is not completely sure of himself or what he is doing such as his performances in Dan in Real Life and Crazy, Stupid Love. For the first half of the film, Burt Wonderstone is far from this type of character which negatively affects Carell’s performance. Fortunately though, as Burt changes for the better so does the performance. A lot more credit can be given to Carrell as on stage Burt Wonderstone. Both Carrell and Steve Buschemi successfully capture the scripted, corny messages and actions of a performing magician, making for one of the most entertaining elements that the film has to offer.

Jim Carrey on the other hand, the more crazy and confident the character the better and Steve Gray is exactly that. Steve Gray is a character used for full on comedic purposes. Burt and Anton may be satirical characters but nowhere near the level that Steve Gray is. His antics constantly make light of today’s illusionist which makes for an over the top but entertaining character. Carrey’s physical and verbal approach only adds to an already fun character. It is important to note that unlike what marketing for the film may suggest, Steve Gray is a supporting character at best and by no means a lead character so if you are looking for a movie with Carrey as its star, you will not find it with The Incrediable Burt Wonderstone.

Like Carrey, the rest of the cast also plays small roles that, at times, are completely disposable. Buscemi as Anton Marvolton gives the best performance he can in a role that gives him little to work with. Anton is only a component of the message being given rather than an impactful part of the story. Like Buscemi, Olivia Wilde as Jane, a backstage assistant turned magician’s assistant, is given very little chance to stand out. Jane’s dream of becoming a magician would have been a fresh and heartfelt direction for the story to take but instead it is only briefly mentioned, never going deeper than surface level. Then there is Alan Arkin as legendary Magician Rance Holloway. Holloway is given dialogue from time to time that holds some real weight and meaning but may be the biggest victim when it comes to out of place appearances. How does him having a heart attack have anything to do with the plot?

Fortunately, when the poor transitions from each encounter Burt has with another character are looked past and the supporting cast is properly used, The Incrediable Burt Wonderstone offers something of value. The morals of the story, all though sappy and as old as time, easily bring satisfaction to the table or in this case to the stage. Yes, there is the obvious lesson about the importance of friendship but the more subtle lesson, having passion for what you do, is where the film is at its best.

Due to these heartfelt moments and an entertaining finale, it is difficult not to find joy in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Yes, rarely do the jokes pack a punch and it is too often a one man show but even with that said The Incredible Burt Wonderstone still manages to pull off a little magic. You will never be in full amazement as if you just witness someone disappear right before your eyes but you will never feel like you want to be the person disappearing, something rare for a majority of  today’s all out comedies.        

Grade: B-