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.
The inconsistencies in tone - is it an Anchorman-style farce or something more serious? - distract from likeable turns from the leads.
Ironically for a comedy built around characters confronting their own obsolescence, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone feels about ten years out of date and features actors who are at least ten years too old for their roles.
The result lacks wit, genuine laughs, or any real sense of wonder, just a couple of misfiring comics in fright-wigs going through the motions.
With this much comic talent on show, the chuckles aren’t lacking so much as insufficient: Don Scardino’s film has a cramping smallness of spirit, and it’s nothing at all to look at. Basically, they brought a decent bag of jokes, but no one quite worked out how to put a movie around them.
It's daft, and charming.
As ever with comedies like this, all the really funny stuff is in the opening 20 minutes. But it's entertaining stuff, with a scene-stealer from Alan Arkin.
It made me laugh.
The film is nicely observed, from the tans to the garish costumes and is mildly satirical of Gray's David Blaine–style endurance feats: how long will he last without urinating? Still, the pacing is sluggish and the sentimental story never surprises. I wasn't feeling the magic.
A film that raises a smile rather than belly laughs, perhaps The Okay Burt Wonderstone would be more accurate.
Expelliarmus! Some laughs, sure, but Carell's creation isn't quite classic and the script sends out mixed messages.
Struggles to hold your attention to the end.
As lightweight as a ping-pong ball, this charming, slightly over-extended comedy sends up films about showbiz rivalries.
Fitfully amusing, but does its own disappearing act from your mind as soon as you leave the cinema.
General release. Check local listings for show times.