Review of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) by Reel H — 19 Aug 2017

SCOTT: (Dr. Scott Allison, Professor of Psychology, University of Richmond) Greg, we just saw a zany comedy with several highly acclaimed actors: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, and Alan Arkin. What did you think of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone?

GREG: (Greg Smith, Founder of Agile Writers of Richmond, VA) It was a delightful surprise. Fashioned after Will Ferrel movies like Blades of Glory and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Carell and friends take on the wonderful world of magic!

SCOTT: The real magic trick was that a movie like this seemed destined to be a dud, yet somehow provided solid entertainment. Lets recap: Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) play two magicians whose long-running Las Vegas act slowly becomes stale and unpopular. A rival magician, Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) has stolen their audience and their thunder by performing extreme tricks involving bodily mutilation. The two men are fired, have a falling out, and go their separate ways. Burt is unable to find work and has clearly lost his passion for magic.

GREG: This is such a fun, funny, and wonderful story of falling from grace and redemption. Burt Wonderstone had lost the wonder of magic until he meets his (now aged) childhood idol, Rance Halloway (Arkin). Rance chides Burt for having no joy for the art of magic and helps him to reclaim it. This is a classic heros redemption story.

SCOTT: Yes it is, Greg. As much as this movie is over-the-top goofy, and as much as Steve Carell plays farce to the hilt, we still are witness to a traditional heros journey. Burts fall into the unfamiliar world of failure leads him to a love interest, Jane (Olivia Wilde); a mentor character Rance which you mention; and an opportunity for transformation. Greg, what did you think of Antons role in this movie? Was this a buddy hero story or did Anton play more of a sidekick role?

GREG: Anton is Burts best friend from grade school. He was always the idea man and Burt was the front man. Anton was willing to take a back seat to Burt. While they were clearly buddies, I dont think this was a buddy film. It was all about Burts realization that he had gotten too big for his own britches and had to change his ways. So, Anton is clearly a sidekick in a movie about Burt Wonderstone. What did you think of Olivia Wildes role in this movie? Shes a long-time favorite of mine from the TV show House and her appearance in other movies including the underrated In Time.

SCOTT: Olivias character of Jane served a purpose that is common in both the movies and in real life. What is that purpose? Women make men better. There I said it. You see it in the movies all the time, from Groundhog Day to nearly every romantic comedy where the male hero is a dufus and the woman sets him straight.

GREG: Jim Carrey as Steve Gray looks a lot like David Blaine or Chris Angel (and the stunts they perform in such cable shows as Mind Freak). Carrey is a master of physical comedy and he uses all of his talent here. I was happy that he didnt go over the top. He seems to have tamed his mania and focused his gifts into a villain character that was a sharp contrast to Carells Wonderstone. Gray was sort of the grown-up bully that Wonderstone had to face as a child.

SCOTT: I was thinking the exact same thing about Carreys more subdued performance. Weve seen physical comedians on the big screen tone down their act with great commercial success before. Steve Martin comes to mind. I also appreciated how Antons hero story obeyed an important law of the hero journey: Heroes must use some aspect of their trials to redeem themselves. Anton travels overseas to a developing nation to perform magic to the starving masses -- a silly gag that falls flat. But while there, Anton discovers a plant that acts as a sedative. Burt and Anton later use that plant to help transform their magic act.

GREG: Thats a great plot device. The writers were pretty economical in their writing - they really didnt waste anything. I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I expected. And there was a lot more of the Heros Journey in it than I expected. I give The Incredible Burt Wonderstone 3 out of 5 Reels for an entertaining comedy experience and 3 out of 5 Heroes for a reasonably well-crafted hero. Movie: Hero:

SCOTT: Ditto, Greg. The movie was a fun romp, producing many chuckles and solid entertainment. Its no academy award-winner, but it did the job. I also give it 3 Reels out of 5. The Hero journey was certainly present from start to finish. It was a bit hard to root for an arrogant bastard like Burt, but Jane and Rance did eventually tame the beast. Like you, I give the hero Burt 3 out of 5 Heroes. Movie: Hero: