Review of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) by Alexproductions — 06 Sep 2013

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone was a very odd movie and did not seem anything like the trailer. Steve Carell delivered a very convincing "Burt Wonderstone and made the audience believe he "was" the role. Jim Carrey, though he was playing a character, seemed like he was playing himself, with a wig on. Steve Buscemi really looked like he enjoyed his role and he and Steve had great chemistry on screen.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone began showing Burt, who was inspired as a kid to first do magic by Rance Holloway. (Alan Arkin) Burt bought his magic kit as a kid and performed for a school mate named Anton Marvelton. The movie cuts years in the future to show Burt and Anton performing at the Bally's hotel in Vegas for large audiences every night. After doing the same show every night with the same music and tricks, Burt and Anton's excitement is decreasing and so is their audience. They are losing their audience to a street magician named Steve Gray. I think the movie over dramatizes the fact that Steve is basically trying to kill himself with danger acts, when the audience is calling it amazing "'magic.".

To try to regain their audience, Anton hatches an idea. We see a large glass box that Anton and Burt will stay in, hanging high in Vegas. There is a large crowd already forming until within twenty minutes Burt can't take it and shakes the box to the point that Anton falls out getting severely injured and the group breaking up.

When Burt realizes he has no money, he gets jobs such as performing at a department store and an elderly home where he meets up with his childhood inspiration, Mr. Holloway. As they rewrite the magic show together, Burt, Anton, Rance, and Jane, (assistant) put on their greatest show yet featuring a trick called the disappearing audience. Will they pull it off? You'll have to see the movie to find out.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone was not terrible, but it certainly was not good. Though the movie was meant to tell a story, they could have easily cut the 90 minute film in half and still have the same effect. There were many times I felt I was watching empty movie fill that Don Scardino (Director) put in just to make it a respectable run time. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is not a movie you should even spend the $15 and buy the DVD for. My opinion? Borrow it from a friend if you want it see it that badly. It's a wonder they made it.