The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Review

I went into The Incredible Burt Wonderstone anticipating that it was going to be a Bad Film, after being told as such by my friends. And so, with my future endeavour apparently pre-determined, I began

my preparation: the three Bad Film Essentials were going to be required.

Firstly: I needed to convince some friends to go with me to undergo the “Bad Film Experience”. A sense of humour (preferably low brow and accepting of poor taste) is certainly a must. It’s easier to loosen up and relax so you’re able to laugh at how terrible something is when there’s someone you know (and hopefully know well) there with you. The difficulty of this step may depend on the company you keep.

Secondly: Snacks. I’m going to try and avoid the obvious joke here of cinema food being expensive, I’m sure if you’re reading this you’ve made that observation at some point. But anyway: snacks. It can help to have something to chew on when there’s a dull moment; and if the theatre is empty enough you might get away with throwing it at the screen if you feel particularly offended by the lack of talent on display.

Thirdly: In order to encourage the responsible consumption of alcohol, I’m not going to mention that a few drinks may bring out qualities in the film that are not apparent to the clear-minded. I will go on to say that intoxication has absolutely no correlation to your enjoyment of the film.

Anyway, after all this preparation I just ended up in a state of disappointment. It’s not that The Incredible Burt Wonderstone was a particularly bad film; it was just thoroughly mediocre. The writing contains the bare essentials for a comedy film, barely any shining examples of brilliant originality are present within the film, and at points it plumbs the depths of crass and vile humour. Steve Carell remains average throughout the film, while Steve Buscemi’s character and acting stands out for its lack of inspiration. Jim Carrey also doesn’t bring life to his character the way he has in other films.

The film does have its merits though – the climax is quite entertaining, despite its noticeably short length. Both Olivia Wilde and Alan Arkin breathe some life into the film, providing a bit of relief from the monotony of their fellow actors. Altogether, you end up in the middle ground. The film isn’t really good enough to recommend a viewing for its quality, but it is not bad enough to be worth seeing purely to witness how awful it is. If your passion is either for Excellent Films or Terrible Films – look elsewhere. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is neither.