The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

Directed by Don Scardino. Starring Steve Carell, Olivia Wilde, Steve Buscemi, Alan Arkin, Jim Carrey, James Gandolfini, Jay Mohr, Michael Herbig, Mason Cook, Luke Vanek, Brad Garrett, Gillian Jacobs. [PG-13]

A couple of magic-obsessed kids grow up to become headlining pros doing a Las Vegas stage show, but they find their popularity dwindling in comparison to extreme TV/internet “magician” Carrey, and suffer a falling out. As the titular showman, Carell plays a caricature instead of a character, suitable for a comedy sketch not a feature-length film, and he’s something of a pompous jerk to boot (without the movie ever explaining why he became that way while his buddy Anton (Buscemi) remained gracious and good-hearted). Still, there are enough chuckles—even a few laugh-out-loud moments—to hold just enough interest during the formula plot’s predictable course, but the missed opportunities for something a lot better are disheartening. Carrey’s Criss Angel-esque schmuck is a ripe-for-satire character but the actor botches the execution and more or less just plays himself acting like a narcissistic nutso. David Copperfield cameos as himself, of course.

58/100