The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Review

Rated PG-13 (Sexual Content, Dangerous Stunts, a Drug-Related Incident and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 40 Minutes

Cast-

Steve Carell-Burt Wonderstone

Steve Buscemi-Anton Marvelton

Jim Carrey-Steve Gray

Olivia Wilde-Jane

Alan Arkin-Rance Holloway

James Gandolfini-Doug Munny

Jay Mohr-Rick the Implausible

Michael Herbig-Lucius Belvedere

Brad Garrett-Dom

Gillian Jacobs-Miranda

Mason Cook-Young Burt

Luke Vanek-Young Anton

David Copperfield-Himself

Directed by Don Scardino

Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi bring the magic in "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone."

Note: Screened on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, at the Warner Brothers Screening Room.

'What is this? A center for ants?! How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read…if they can't even fit inside the building?' In much the same way 2001's "Zoolander" hilariously lampooned the world of fashion models, "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" pokes fun at the larger-than-life antics of Las Vegas magicians and their streetwise counterparts. Reuniting Steve Carell and Jim Carrey for their third collaboration, it's interesting to see how much their careers have changed since they first appeared on-screen together in "Bruce Almighty" almost ten years ago. At the time of its release in 2003, Carell was only a correspondent on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" but his supporting role in that film allowed him to gain a foothold in Hollywood. 2005's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" cemented Carell's status as a leading man and that same year, he began his award-winning, seven-year stint on NBC's "The Office." Meanwhile, Carrey saw his star-power wane but his comedic talent remains as strong as ever judging from his outrageous performance in Don Scardino's film. Although the story largely plays it safe and sticks close to formula, "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" remains an enjoyable, if not exactly memorable, comedy thanks to its talented cast and silly, irreverent tone. 

A frequent target for bullies, young Albert's life is changed forever when he receives a 'Rance Holloway Magic Kit' for his tenth birthday. Immediately entranced by the world of magic, Albert and his best friend Anthony start practicing daily, and soon they're even coming up with their own ideas. Twenty years later, the two are blowing audiences away in Las Vegas with their spectacular on-stage illusions, having reinvented themselves as the incredible Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi). Their talent soon attracts wealthy casino owner Doug Munny (James Gandolfini), who gives Burt and Anton their very own theater at the prestigious Bally's Casino. Unfortunately, ten years of performing together and doing the same routine have caused the two to drift apart, with fame turning Burt into a womanizing prima donna who can't even be bothered to remember the name of his assistant, Jane (Olivia Wilde). Ticket sales for their show start to decline when audiences begin flocking to see street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) perform increasingly disturbing stunts on and off the Vegas Strip. Losing money, Doug demands Burt and Anton to come up with something new to compete but the resulting stunt not only leads to their public humiliation, it also results in the two breaking up. Having spent all his money on frivolous pursuits, Burt is reduced to living in a motel and performing at retirement homes, where he runs into his former magical idol, Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin). Working with Rance, Burt must now rediscover his passion for magic if he is to dig himself out of rock bottom. 

"The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to its story but it's hard not to find yourself charmed by the film's colorful characters and the exaggerated situations they end up in. Much of the humor lampoons the world of magicians where there's a tug-of-war between the old-school theatrics exemplified by David Copperfield (who served as a creative consultant and even has a cameo) and the more extreme, 'trickless magic' practiced by Criss Angel. Although it's not exactly laugh-out-loud hilarious compared to more raunchy comedies like "The Hangover" or "Ted," director Don Scardino instills his film with a silly, manic energy that makes up for some of the more dated jokes. Bullied as a child and ignored by an absentee mother (who leaves her son a box of cake mix along with instructions on how to bake it on his birthday), Burt Wonderstone grows up to be an arrogant a**hole but you can't really hate him given how cartoonish he is with his ridiculous wig and overdone spray tan. Like Ben Stiller's Derek Zoolander, Burt is rather thick-skulled, believing himself to be God's greatest gift to women. While I wouldn't call it clever, his repeated attempts to get into Jane's pants did give me a few chuckles. Burt's best friend Anton is more of a good-natured doofus. When he and Burt break up after a failed stunt, Anton travels to Cambodia to bring magic to all the children but is humorously dismayed when he learns that all they want is 'food and water.' With their flamboyant velvet costumes, Burt and Anton are obviously a parody of Siegfried & Roy while Steve Gray fits into the Criss Angel/David Blaine mold. Skirting toward a black comedy, Gray's stunts include cutting a playing card out of his own cheek (then stitching up the wound), sleeping on hot coals, and holding in his own urine for weeks. He broadcasts it all on his television show…"Brain Rapist." By far the best scene is when Burt and Gray try to one-up each other during a birthday party held for Doug's son. Some of the illusions and sleight-of-hand are obviously enhanced with CG (a dove can't pop out of a salt shaker, even if it's de-boned) but most of them have some basis in reality. Its unfortunate the script written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (who were responsible for 2011's "Horrible Bosses") is so conventional. It's basically about a selfish person learning the value of humility. There's nothing specifically wrong with "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone;" it's just one of those harmless comedies that you enjoy 'in the moment' but quickly forgot about once you leave the theater. 

A big part of why the film works is the talented cast Scardino has assembled. Even when he's playing a total douche-bag, Steve Carell is still able to charm his way into our hearts. Burt Wonderstone is an inherently ludicrous character and Carell handles it with aplomb, preening about with a feathered wig and a fake tan, completely unaware of just how silly he looks. Steve Buscemi is more grounded as Anton but he's just as clueless. You really do believe that these two have been best friends for a long time. Olivia Wilde is given the thankless role of being Carell's love interest and as a consequence, the script gives her precious little to do other than look exasperated at Burt's over-the-top antics. Completely stealing the film is Jim Carrey. This is some of his best work in quite awhile, with the actor delivering a hilariously deranged turn as Criss Angel-knockoff Steve Gray. Alan Arkin is absolutely delightful as former magician Rance Holloway, with his 'deathbed' scene being one of the standout bits in the film. Finally, there's James Gandolfini as casino baron Doug Munny, who manages to garner a few laughs but his jokes ultimately end up feeling rather one-note. 

"The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" won't be released until March 15, 2013 but it has been screening for the past month, with its premiere held at this year's South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Reviews so far have been mixed and it currently has a 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. I imagine it won't deviate much from that number. Despite the stale story-telling, audiences will likely respond better to the film, although this is going to be a midlevel hit at best. Magic shows are meant to entertain and in that regard, "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" is an unqualified success. While Scardino may not take full advantage of its novel premise, the cast packs in enough solid laughs to make this comedy worth at least a matinee.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"I understand. It's natural for a dying leaf to be frightened by the autumn wind. It's not about pulling a rabbit out of your hat anymore. It's about pulling your heart…out of your chest."