A veteran Vegas magician tries to revive his career after his longtime partner quits, he gets fired from his casino act, and an edgy new "street magician" steals his thunder.A veteran Vegas magician tries to revive his career after his longtime partner quits, he gets fired from his casino act, and an edgy new "street magician" steals his thunder.A veteran Vegas magician tries to revive his career after his longtime partner quits, he gets fired from his casino act, and an edgy new "street magician" steals his thunder.
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations
Michael Herbig
- Lucius Belvedere
- (as Michael Bully Herbig)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDavid Copperfield told some very confidential secrets for some magic tricks in the film, so confidential that he had them sign secrecy contracts.
- GoofsBurt's accountant Dom tells him that the $200.00 Bond purchased for him in 1973 by his Nana is only worth $248.00. An E bond (the only type of bond sold in 1973) purchased for $200.00 in 1973 would be worth over $1,000.00.
- Quotes
Jane: [after Gray burns his skin for a trick] That is a terrible trick to do for children. What if they try and copy you?
Steve Gray: I'll sue them. It's my trick.
- Crazy creditsDuring end credits, the reveal to the magic trick on making the audience disappear is shown in action--the audience is knocked out with Kratom gas, tagged, carried or dragged out of the theater, and tossed into delivery trucks to be taken to the remote outdoor site.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.104 (2013)
- SoundtracksYou've Got Another Thing Comin
Written by Rob Halford, K.K. Downing (as Kenneth Downing) and Glenn Tipton (as Glenn Raymond Tipton)
Performed by Judas Priest
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment (UK) LTD
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Featured review
Burt Wonderstone may be more pleasant than it really deserves credit for. Maybe it's because the past two months have been such a wasteland for films, or maybe it's because I am somewhat easily amused. None the less, this is a pleasant film. It didn't blow me away or leave me crying from laughing so hard, but the combination of the comedic chops of the delightful cast and the entertaining magic tricks left me smiling when I left the theater. In a time when there is little in the theater to get excited about, this is a film I quite enjoyed.
Steve Carell plays magician Burt Wonderstone, the boastful, self-indulgent, and obnoxiously asinine half to Steve Buscemi, who are partners, and best friends since childhood, in the magic business in Vegas. However, both Burt's obnoxiousness and a new street magician, played by Jim Carrey, soon get in the way of his success, and he's forced to re-examine what his career means to him.
While the magic might be a mystery here, the plot isn't, and it's a plot that goes through all the motions and hits all the points. But if you're someone who doesn't mind that, you will find yourself enjoying this film for it's bright points. Steve Carell is both pompous and lovable here, an idiot savant so to speak, but as a magician lampooning well known, silly performing magicians in Vegas, he's hilarious. Jim Carrey is the second part of the equation, at his best since years. Jim hasn't been this funny in a long time and steals the show every time he's on screen. Rounding out the cast are an underused Steve Buscemi, who disappears for a good chunk of the film, Olivia Wilde who seems like a bit of a mismatch for the goofy Carell, and James Gandolfini as James Gandolfini running a casino. There's also a wonderful appearance by Alan Arkin as an aging and inspirational magician.
There's a lot here that works, and a lot that doesn't. All of the mockery towards magicians of all kinds are spot on. Carell and Buscemi are perfect as send ups of well known magicians like David Copperfield and Jim Carrey is likewise as a caricature of "street magicians" like Criss Angel. And there's just enough Jim that he's hilarious, but not obnoxiously overused. Olivia Wilde gets her own spotlight to shine and she's as pleasant as ever here. And the combination of magic and comedy are a great and somewhat refreshing mix. I'll also add that just about everything with Alan Arkin is hilarious.
However, the film is pretty formulaic and there's a lot that feels forced. The love story, for one, feels generic and plastic. It's hard to believe that, after everything Olivia Wilde's character goes through with Carell's character, she falls for him (though there is a particular scene between the two that is pretty hilarious). Most of the plot points also feel very by the numbers. Most of the comedy comes from gags and one-offs.
But, in the end, it all adds up to a fun and entertaining time. If you're going expecting something amazing, you'll probably be disappointed, but if you're going expecting to have a fun time, then I think you will find yourself pleased.
Steve Carell plays magician Burt Wonderstone, the boastful, self-indulgent, and obnoxiously asinine half to Steve Buscemi, who are partners, and best friends since childhood, in the magic business in Vegas. However, both Burt's obnoxiousness and a new street magician, played by Jim Carrey, soon get in the way of his success, and he's forced to re-examine what his career means to him.
While the magic might be a mystery here, the plot isn't, and it's a plot that goes through all the motions and hits all the points. But if you're someone who doesn't mind that, you will find yourself enjoying this film for it's bright points. Steve Carell is both pompous and lovable here, an idiot savant so to speak, but as a magician lampooning well known, silly performing magicians in Vegas, he's hilarious. Jim Carrey is the second part of the equation, at his best since years. Jim hasn't been this funny in a long time and steals the show every time he's on screen. Rounding out the cast are an underused Steve Buscemi, who disappears for a good chunk of the film, Olivia Wilde who seems like a bit of a mismatch for the goofy Carell, and James Gandolfini as James Gandolfini running a casino. There's also a wonderful appearance by Alan Arkin as an aging and inspirational magician.
There's a lot here that works, and a lot that doesn't. All of the mockery towards magicians of all kinds are spot on. Carell and Buscemi are perfect as send ups of well known magicians like David Copperfield and Jim Carrey is likewise as a caricature of "street magicians" like Criss Angel. And there's just enough Jim that he's hilarious, but not obnoxiously overused. Olivia Wilde gets her own spotlight to shine and she's as pleasant as ever here. And the combination of magic and comedy are a great and somewhat refreshing mix. I'll also add that just about everything with Alan Arkin is hilarious.
However, the film is pretty formulaic and there's a lot that feels forced. The love story, for one, feels generic and plastic. It's hard to believe that, after everything Olivia Wilde's character goes through with Carell's character, she falls for him (though there is a particular scene between the two that is pretty hilarious). Most of the plot points also feel very by the numbers. Most of the comedy comes from gags and one-offs.
But, in the end, it all adds up to a fun and entertaining time. If you're going expecting something amazing, you'll probably be disappointed, but if you're going expecting to have a fun time, then I think you will find yourself pleased.
- cadillac20
- Mar 10, 2013
- Permalink
- How long is The Incredible Burt Wonderstone?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Burt Dickenson
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $30,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $22,537,881
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,177,257
- Mar 17, 2013
- Gross worldwide
- $27,437,881
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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By what name was The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) officially released in India in English?
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