SkimIt
In the heart of the holiday season, let's press on and have a look at next spring and summer's big movies, including a reunion of two beloved comics, the latest from two very different directors and the latest bit of all-star animation.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (opening March 15, 2013)
The Details: Inspired by an old-school magician they see on television, two young children of the early 1980s become obsessed with magic. Thirty years later, the duo (Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi) are Las Vegas has-beens whose thunder has been stolen by a hipster street magician (Jim Carrey) who specializes in feats of endurance. A new connection with the aged master who first inspired them (Alan Arkin) convinces the duo to take back their chosen profession. Don Scardino directs a script by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Horrible Bosses) with a reported uncredited polish by writer/director Jason Reitman.
The Trailer: It's so obvious which real-life magicians Carell, Buscemi and (especially) Carrey's characters are based on that it feels unseemly to name names. (Well, okay, Carrey is totally riffing on both Criss Angel and David Blaine, two excellent examples of why people find magicians really annoying.) Most of the jokes land where they're supposed to, and it's great to see Buscemi -- an underrated comic actor -- and Carrey allow themselves to be unapologetically goofy. But this looks to be Carell's movie all the way, and in particular, his scenes with Arkin look like potential comic gold.
The Buzz: A solid cast, writers with good comedy credentials, a world that's ripe for affectionate mockery: this is probably going to be a lot of fun.
