Plot
When a street magician's stunt begins to make their show look stale, superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton look to salvage on their act - and their friendship - by staging their own daring stunt.
Release Year: 2013
Rating: 6.7/10 (1,387 voted)
Director:Don Scardino
Storyline
Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas Strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt's growing ego. But lately the duo's greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they've grown to loathe each other. Facing cutthroat competition from guerrilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show is starting to look stale. But there's still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act-both onstage and off-if only Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place.
Filming Locations: JW Marriott Hotel - 900 W. Olympic Boulevard, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $30,000,000
(estimated)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Sacha Baron Cohen and Matthew Broderick were considered for the role of Steve Gray. See more »
User Review
The Combination of Magic and Comedy Work Wonders
Rating: 7/10
Burt Wonderstone may be more pleasant than it really deserves credit
for. Maybe it's because the past two months have been such a wasteland
for films, or maybe it's because I am somewhat easily amused. None the
less, this is a pleasant film. It didn't blow me away or leave me
crying from laughing so hard, but the combination of the comedic chops
of the delightful cast and the entertaining magic tricks left me
smiling when I left the theater. In a time when there is little in the
theater to get excited about, this is a film I quite enjoyed.
Steve Carell plays magician Burt Wonderstone, the boastful,
self-indulgent, and obnoxiously asinine half to Steve Buscemi, who are
partners, and best friends since childhood, in the magic business in
Vegas. However, both Burt's obnoxiousness and a new street magician,
played by Jim Carrey, soon get in the way of his success, and he's
forced to re-examine what his career means to him.
While the magic might be a mystery here, the plot isn't, and it's a
plot that goes through all the motions and hits all the points. But if
you're someone who doesn't mind that, you will find yourself enjoying
this film for it's bright points. Steve Carell is both pompous and
lovable here, an idiot savant so to speak, but as a magician lampooning
well known, silly performing magicians in Vegas, he's hilarious. Jim
Carrey is the second part of the equation, at his best since years. Jim
hasn't been this funny in a long time and steals the show every time
he's on screen. Rounding out the cast are an underused Steve Buscemi,
who disappears for a good chunk of the film, Olivia Wilde who seems
like a bit of a mismatch for the goofy Carell, and James Gandolfini as
James Gandolfini running a casino. There's also a wonderful appearance
by Alan Arkin as an aging and inspirational magician.
There's a lot here that works, and a lot that doesn't. All of the
mockery towards magicians of all kinds are spot on. Carell and Buscemi
are perfect as send ups of well known magicians like David Copperfield
and Jim Carrey is likewise as a caricature of "street magicians" like
Criss Angel. And there's just enough Jim that he's hilarious, but not
obnoxiously overused. Olivia Wilde gets her own spotlight to shine and
she's as pleasant as ever here. And the combination of magic and comedy
are a great and somewhat refreshing mix. I'll also add that just about
everything with Alan Arkin is hilarious.
However, the film is pretty formulaic and there's a lot that feels
forced. The love story, for one, feels generic and plastic. It's hard
to believe that, after everything Olivia Wilde's character goes through
with Carell's character, she falls for him (though there is a
particular scene between the two that is pretty hilarious). Most of the
plot points also feel very by the numbers. Most of the comedy comes
from gags and one-offs.
But, in the end, it all adds up to a fun and entertaining time. If
you're going expecting something amazing, you'll probably be
disappointed, but if you're going expecting to have a fun time, then I
think you will find yourself pleased.
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