The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

This movie is vastly underrated and panned for no good reason. Is some of this stupid? Sure. But how many comedies aren't majority stupid? This has some genuinely funny moments w/ bits of stupidity laced through it. There was some really strong comedy in this, and it's unfortunate that it didn't get the accolades it deserved.

A true judge-by-its-cover comedy, this is almost precisely what you'd expect from the trailer and/or promotional materials, for better or for worse. It's a light, predictable comedy with a few good laughs and a wealth of filler material. Although Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey appear in supporting roles, the spotlight is largely reserved for Steve Carell, who's merely okay as an out-of-touch, egomaniacal Las Vegas magician. Carrey is particularly wasted in his role, a Criss Angel-David Blaine hybrid that amounts to little more than a barbed punchline, and doesn't even receive the dignity of an endgame. The film is at its most entertaining when Carell is insufferable, a snobby celebrity lost in his own self-image, but quickly loses steam when Carrey's grim not-quite-magic act forces him to wake up. The plot becomes fairly paint-by-numbers from there, with a tour of skid row and a telegraphed love interest (Olivia Wilde) lining Wonderstone's path to redemption, and navigates no sharp turns on its way to an empty happy ending. A good time-killer for a lazy weeknight, but not something I'd recommend to friends.