The Incredible Burt Wonderstone - C+

Rated PG-13, 100 minutes

Charming, familiar "Incredible Burt Wonderstone" has no new tricks

Steve Carrell and Steve Buscemi

The bland, charming new comedy "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" is a film about magicians that lacks any sort of real comedy magic. With a pairing of comedy powerhouses Carrell and Carrey you'd think this would be a laugh riot, but it's flimsy script is peppered with only a few genuinely funny bits. Veteran superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas strip for years, but their act is growing old and stale as a hot new David Blaine-like street magician named Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) overshadows them. When the two have a falling out, they realize what the magic of true friendship really is. "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" is a mildly entertaining yet a disappointment considering its stellar comedic leads, lacking a sharp wit and laugh-out loud moments. The spotty script, co-written by "Freaks and Geeks" John Francis Daley and "Horrible Bosses" writer Jonathan Goldstein, is the main culprit, relying heavily on a scattershot, sight-gag approach to comedy that will generate only a few smiles at best. Remarkably (and I never thought I'd find myself saying this), Carrey's role, a cross between Blaine and Criss-Angel, is a smaller part than you might think, yet of the two he's funnier and more engaging. In the large sections Carry's not onscreen, the film suffers on the shoulders of the likable but bland Carrell, who seems to be playing yet another version of the smarmy Michael from "The Office." Buscemi, a terrific comedian and actor, is also underused, though recent Oscar-nominee Alan Arkin is the real treat here as a cranky old magician, giving the film some crackle and pop and stealing all of his scenes. The weak plotting is too predictable (star loses it all to discover the real meaning of life, blah blah blah) and could've been infused with sharper dialogue and characters or even a whiff of low-brow humor to give it some life. While "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" does provide some sporadic amusement, it pulls no new rabbits out of its hat, leaving you wondering where the real magic is in all this.

Wes's Grade: C+