If there is one trick that The Incredible Burt Wonderstone can’t pull out from its hat, and that is a timely redemption of its title character into a likable fellow for whom we’ve stop caring about. Steve Carell plays an out of touch Las Vegas strip magician whose star has faded over the years. Burt Wonderstone has the luxury of being surrounded by funnier and more interesting characters, but ultimately spends too much screen time just being an incredible jerk.
As the film opens, the young and future Incredible Wonderstone is an awkward bullied little boy who finds focus and purpose in his life when he and his buddy Anton discover the joys of sleight of hand via a home magic set and VHS instructional video based on the stage act of the legendary Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin).
Flash forward decades later, Wonderstone is a master of illusion, performing to sold out audiences at Bally’s in bare chested sequin outfits and an over blown-out bulletproof bouffant along with his sidekick Anton (Steve Buscemi). What has also happened over time is Burt’s transformation into a narcissistic self-made celebrity who gifts groupies he’s bedded with souvenir autographed pictures the next morning and fires on-stage assistants in the middle of a live show.
But over time, edgy street showmanship has finally caught up The Incredible Burt and Anton, who before their very eyes see their audience dwindle when attention switches to self mutilation performance acts like Steve Gray (Jim Carrey). While Wonderstone is still adamant about taking the stage in flamboyant outfits to the tune of the Steve Miller Band’s “Abracadabra,” and doing the same uninspired show over and over again, Gray while in front of his guerrilla DV camera crew will hold his urine for days or grab a pillow and camp out overnight while sleeping on hot coals. Gray’s inspiration from the likes of David Blaine and Criss Angel are not exactly subtle, but neither of those real life illusionists nearly have the brilliant physical comedy aptitude of Jim Carrey, who takes to this role with ease and thankfully runs with it with reckless abandon.
So begins the battle for supremacy (and a lucrative contract) between the old school and new school of magic. Burt finds himself not only unemployed and friendless, but in the apprenticeship of his now retirement home stricken idol, Rance Halloway. You would think the Bruce Almighty re-teaming of Carell and Carrey would bring real comedy magic to the big screen, but the biggest laughs mainly come courtesy of Carrey’s signature physical skills. Wonderstone himself has too slow a transition to becoming a relatable character, maintaining his big on-stage voice even when he’s not performing, tossing his life long friendship with Anton aside without a thought, and constantly calls his loyal assistant Nicole instead of her real name Jane (played by a given very little to do Olivia Wilde).
As far as actually being a funny character, Wonderstone is sorely underwritten. Where your Ron Burgundy is an obnoxious sexist ass, he is still a funny character with memorable antics and catchphrases to take home and repeat. There are few opportunities for Carell to knock it out of the ballpark, and most of the big laughs come from Carrey, Arkin and the supporting players like Wilde, Jay Mohr and Gillian Jacobs.
Olivia Wilde and Steve Buscemi are left in sideline purgatory here. Wilde is given little to do outside of the role of obligatory assistant and reluctant love interest. Buscemi’s Anton Marvelton is mostly used an on object of abuse for Wonderstone’s ego. And while Carrey lights up every one of his scenes, he is sorely missed when not on screen.
Where the film could have (or should have) gone with with a mile a minute punchline driven script or skew towards a comedy version of The Prestige and allow itself to become more brilliant as it goes on, baffling the audience as dueling master magicians best each other in a round by round battle of wits, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone instead sorely underplays its potential with a paint by numbers story of a fallen character who needs to be set straight.
Where the key to magic is misdirection, it is the unfortunate achilles heel of this film where you need to focus elsewhere to find the too few and in-between big laughs, and its Carell’s Wonderstone who distracts you from Carrey’s Gray. Where it has an edgy meanness to it, its not towards the right characters, and when it finally has heart and soul, behind all the smoke and mirrors there is little magic left to have you care about the has-been title character who needs a comeback the most.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone opens on March 15th.
REVIEW RATING: ★★☆☆☆
Directed By: Don Scardino
Starring: Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 101 minutes
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