The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Burt Wonderstone has gotten some flak from critics over its safe and predictable plot, but I think in spite of its formulaic design and the obvious character turns Burt Wonderstone succeeds at what it tries to do.  Wonderstone doesn’t aspire to change lives with its compellation or inspire life choices with its character development.  Instead it focuses on giving us a familiar formula thick with jokes with a little bit of heart.

Wonderstone starts with…well, Burt Wonderstone of course!  The year is 1982.  Burt is beat up by some kids who tell him he will never be loved.  Upon arriving home to an empty house because his mom couldn’t be bothered to be around on his birthday, he opens his gift to find a magic set by the famous Rance Holloway who tells him everyone loves someone who does magic, and thus Burt Wonderstone’s journey is set before him.  Impressed by his disappearing handkerchief trick, a young Anthony Marvelton becomes Burt’s only friend, and their friendship is magical.

Years later they are signed as the headlining at a Las Vegas hotel where they are successful for ten years, before they fall out of love with their passion.  Ticket sales plummet and the two friends are at each other’s throats.  Compounding their situation is street performer Steve Grey whose dangerous acts of “magic” is stealing the audience from Burt and Anthony.  Burt soon loses everything as his friendship disintegrates and his show is cancelled from the hotel.  He moves into a motel and begins entertaining old folks at a retirement home as a last resort.  While there he encounters none other than Rance Holloway who restores his passion for magic.  He then becomes entangled in a magic battle with Grey over the show at the Bally Hotel, where he previously worked.  Anthony returns and the friends are back together and joined by their old assistant as they do their most daring trick yet and win back their spot at the hotel.

Obviously, the script is pretty paint-by-numbers.  The twists are expected and the characters are predictable in their actions, although they are surprising enough to elicit laughs, and often times (for me) guffaws.  Yes, full blown guffaws.  I actually think this predictable script was a stylistic choice.  All throughout the movie, Burt and Anthony’s magic tricks are safe and predictable, devoid of actual magic or wonder.  As the movie goes on we see Wonderstone struggle with his relationships and his pride, but when he meets Rance and begins to believe in magic again and he begins to have passion again his tricks become inspired and almost shocking.  When Anthony re-enters the picture and the magic duo decide to do the trick they could never master, their magic is truly awe-inspiring, Illegal, but awe-inspiring.  So the form of the script almost matches the arc of Burt Wonderstone.  I like that idea, that a writer shouldn’t always worry about what’s new and flashy, but tell the story in a way that is informed by the characters.

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” isn’t going to blow your mind or make it into the leagues of great comedy, but it does its job quietly and efficiently while making the audience (a.k.a. me) laugh out loud on multiple occasions.

3.5/5