In The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Steve Carrell plays the title character, a schlub who has lucked into Vegas headliner success as a magician and has developed narcissistic entitlement, along with some destructive spending habits. Steve Buscemi plays his long suffering partner. Their prop-driven act, with its Siegfried and Roy schtick, is challenged by an emerging street magician a la David Blaine (Jim Carrey). Laughs result when the clueless Burt Wonderstone sabotages his own successful act and must come to terms with his own limitations; this being show biz, there’s a lot of unabashed backstabbing. There’s also a brief but very funny poke at celebrity charity in the Third World.
As we remember from his breakthrough performance in 1994’s The Mask, there are things that Jim Carrey can do that no other performer can. His movie vehicles since The Mask, however, have tempted him to preen and wink at the audience. Here, he has a well-written role that is perfect for his rubber face, physicality and sheer force of character, and he takes it to the max. It turns out that, while he can make us wince in a Jim Carrey movie, Carrey can make us belly laugh in a Steve Carrell movie.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone benefits from a deep cast. The very game and able Olivia Wilde plays the exploited intern. James Gandolfini plays a deliciously ruthless and self-interested casino tycoon. The great Alan Arkin just gets funnier as he ages. And Jay Mohr is delightful in one his best recent roles, a hopelessly unsuited comedian named Rick the Implausible.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is fluff, but it’s fun fluff. And a showcase for Jim Carrey.