Review of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) by Johnny T — 04 Oct 2013

Carell and Carrey shine like sequinned suits in a comedy that allows them endless fun with the dressing-up box. More narrative verve and it could've been The Prestige in a big-cat wig. The movie itself is too cautious and unimaginative to bring off what a great magic trick - or comedy - should do: make us laugh out loud with surprise. The movie is pleasant. But the one who gets the real laughs here, the hard laughs, is Carrey, who plays the kind of role he should be playing - a complete lunatic. It's as if Carrey has been waiting, through a series of bland and corny showcases, to find a role that doesn't derail or divert his intensity, but embraces it. This comedy about a magician who must hit bottom before rising again to the wonder of his beloved craft pulls plenty of sweet moments and a slew of laughs out of a story that might have been thin air. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone has its cornball charm, thanks largely to the confident work of old pros Carell, Arkin, and Buscemi, but it's ultimately a big, gaudy, predictable show, strictly for the rubes and tourists.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film... (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).