Burt Wonderstone’s star, Steve Carell, has had a varied career. From his first major film role in Bruce Almighty (alongside Wonderstone co-star Jim Carrey) to his cult status character, Brick in Anchorman, Carell can muster a menagerie of comedy stylings, but often gets stuck with the more abrasive, dumb characters he played so well in his early days. With The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Carell falls into his usual brash comedy and unfortunately it feels all too safe and familiar.
The film opens with a young Burt escaping a beating from the local school bullies. At home his mother leaves him a birthday gift a magic set from celebrity magician Rance Holloway and so his love of illusions begins. Flash-forward 30 years and along with lifelong friend and magical companion Anton Marvelton (Buscemi), he is the headline act in his own Vegas theatre. Marvelton and Wonderstone’s act has become bloated, tired and overdone. With new kid on the block, Steve Gray (a street magician who fantastically lampoons real life conjurer Criss Angel), hustling for their position, it isn’t long until the pairs’ show falls apart and Wonderstone loses everything.
The first half of the film sets up some great gags that play on the homoerotic overtones of Wonderstone and Marvelton’s magical friendship’, as well how despite his humble beginnings, Wonderstone has changed into an arrogant fool. The scene in which he seduces a fan in the largest bed in Vegas is definitely a highlight. However, once Burt loses all his fame and glory, the film falls into the realm of cliché, often feeling like a version of Zoolander but with magic instead of fashion.
Another of the film’s faults is the cast, there are too many funny people in this film who aren’t used well enough. Carrey is brilliant as Steve Gray but he isn’t on-screen enough. The same goes for Steve Buscemi, who could have been the film’s highlight but is instead used for below average jokes and generally gets wasted on screen. Thankfully Alan Arkin, who with his recent run can seriously do no wrong, does a fantastic job as the catalyst for Burt’s love of magic, while James Gandolfini has a fantastic bit part as a bumbling Vegas mogul with more money than sense. There’s also Olivia Wilde, who plays the love interest, but that’s really all she’s used for, which is a disappointment as she usually delivers a solid performance.
The film starts to lose momentum about halfway through, the set pieces feel tired and obvious, with too many bit characters trying to deliver poor one liners. Things pick up in the film’s third act but by then the damage is already done.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone could have easily been comedy gold, but with too much talent and not enough great material for them it feels rather baggy and loses its magic within the middle act.
Reviewer: Gareth Haworth