It takes a truly skilled actor to handle the many aspects of comedy there are in the movie business without being perceived as unprofessional. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone was lucky enough to have two men in its cast known for their comedic background and hilarity time and time again: Steve Carell and Jim Carey. Since Carell left his seven season role of Michael Scott on The Office, he has debuted in many successful movies such as Hope Springs, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and Crazy, Stupid, Love. Carey, on the other hand, has not been in a major film since the premiere of Mr. Popper’s Penguins in 2011, and he has seemingly fallen off the face of the Earth. Yes Man, Dumb and Dumber, and the many Ace Ventura movies are just a few pieces of Carey’s immense work as an actor. After having that much success, it is no surprise that Carey seems to have taken somewhat of a break. On the bright side, Carey’s brief absence from the film world is a major factor in making Wonderstone even more enticing as a comedy. When it comes to ridiculous comedies such as Wonderstone, many are apprehensive as to whether they should risk spending 12 dollars on a movie that could be so absurd and overdone that it is not even funny. However, with Carell and Carey as lead roles, Wonderstone is more than just another weird comedy that will most likely fall flat.
Wonderstone tells a comedic and somewhat heartfelt story of the quirky friendship and career of Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi). Their friendship takes its roots in elementary school, where Burt Wonderstone is bullied and decides to take up the hobby of magic. Soon enough, Anton is drawn in by Burt’s mesmerizing magical abilities. As the two boys get older, their magic routine draws in the CEO of “Bally’s” resort in Las Vegas, who signs them to a successful magic act for many years at his hotel. However, as years go by, their magic act soon deteriorates, as does their friendship. Many fights cause the duo to part ways and Burt’s life of glamour soon crumbles. As Burt reconciles and adjusts to his new lifestyle, the movie offers comedic relief paired with an odd sympathy for the once pompous magician. Without being predictable and cheesy, Burt’s experiences throughout his downfall are entertaining and just plain funny.
Carey plays the role of Steve Gray, a modern and unorthodox magician who rivals Wonderstone and his classical magic technique. Gray takes up sickening methods of entertainment such as burning or cutting himself to attract fame, which take away from Wonderstone’s attempts to crawl his way back to the top of the magic industry. Both Wonderstone and Grays’ struggles throughout their rivalry are quite funny in a sadistic sort of way. Eventually, despite their differences, Anton and Burt must reunite in a weirdly child-like and hilarious scene in order to renew their reputations as magicians.
Through a mixture of sympathetic scenes and equal hilarity, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone proved to be a success and showed a likeness to the comedic effect of movies such as Dodgeball, Step Brothers, and The Campaign. Both Carey and Carrells’ humorous personalities and carefree nature prove to be as entertaining as usual and raise Wonderstone up a step on the scale of hilarity.
