Back in 2003, Jim Carrey was a huge movie star whose film Bruce Almighty grossed almost $250 million in the U.S. alone. But after seeing that film, people started talking about another name. Steve Carell played his rival newscaster in the film and many said he had the funniest scene in the whole movie, stealing a bit of Carrey's thunder. 10 years later, it's Carell who has become the bigger star and Carrey's fame has been declining. The two of them must have stayed friendly as they both appear in the new film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. And it's Carell in the starring role this time around with Carrey popping up here and there.
Here's the bad news though: the movie's not that good. It's about two childhood friends (Carell and Steve Buscemi) who grow up to be famous magicians. But the fame turns one of them into a pompous egomaniac. That would be Burt Wonderstone. His arrogance causes a rift between the two which causes them to part ways. To make matters worse, people start turning their attention to a street magician named Steve Gray. The character is a parody of Criss Angel who had his own successful television show called Mindfreak. Burt Wonderstone decides to continue his magic show as a solo act and watches his audience become smaller and smaller. This is because he continues to do the same old tricks which can't compete with the more eye-popping and dangerous spectacles displayed by Steve Gray.
The movie plays out with the two magicians trying to outdo one another, much like a silly version of The Prestige (a far superior film). Steve Carell gets credit for trying something a little different by playing someone who's pretty much a douchebag for most of the movie. But it doesn't help when that douchebag is the central character of the film. What's really nice to see is Jim Carrey back in true form with some genuinely funny scenes. It would have been too much if he was the focus of the film, but we get just the right dose of his over-the-top character as this time Carrey gets to steal scenes back from Steve Carell. Carrey hasn't had the chance to play the kind of roles that made him famous in quite a while, but this one is more in sync with what fits him best. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone opens on March 15. It's really only worth it for some of Jim Carrey's scenes and that's it. Otherwise, save your money.
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