The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

I'm the kind of guy who loves magic. I can really buy into the illusion (thank you to Gob Bluth for teaching me that), so I was expecting to go into this movie and be blown away with a magical comedy. Don't be fooled. Just because you see Steve Carrell on the poster, don't think, he's funny, I'll go see that. Really think about it, is there something else better showing? Maybe you'd like that more.

This movie is, for the most part, largely unfunny. If it had of been a drama about an older Vegas magician who had to compete with the younger generation of magicians and was forced to return to his roots to find his passion for his craft again, I would definitely go see that. Instead we get a comedic version of just that.

Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carrell) is a 40 year old magician, who has been performing in Vegas for the last decade with his partner Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi). This pair is an obvious reference to the stage magicians Siegfried and Roy (there are multiple references to them throughout the film). Wonderstone's passion for magic has dwindled and he is constantly fighting with Anton when they are offstage. The only thing he uses his act for is sleeping with impressionable young women, rather than entertaining people.

One afternoon, Burt and Anton come across street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), as he films an episode of his show Brain Rapist. This is undoubtably a nod to illusionist Criss Angel. Upon seeing this new act, Burt's boss, Doug (James Gandolfini) gets Burt and Anton to come up with a similar sort of life threatening stunt. Anton comes up with the idea of being suspended in plexiglass box for a week.

This act ultimately fails and the two go their separate ways. Burt ends up getting a job entertaining seniors at a retirement village, where he connects with retired magician Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin). Holloway rekindles Burt's love for magic, which is perfect timing because Doug is opening a new hotel and casino, where he is auditioning magicians for the headlining act. Cue predictability.

Steve Carrell has created a very unlikeable character. I wasn't sure if he was supposed to become likeable at the end, but I didn't find him so. I wish I could say more about Steve Buscemi, but he doesn't have a lot of time for character development.

The saving grace of this film are performances by Jim Carrey and Alan Arkin. It was very funny to see Carrey channel the new type of magician that has come about in the last decade. Alan Arkin is also a great comedian, but an actor of his calibre shouldn't be drawn into the likes of this film.

Wonderstone's love interest is wannabe magician Jane (Olivia Wilde). I think I would have found their relationship more believable if it had remained platonic. The chemistry between the two wasn't really working even though Wilde is an actress of incredible range. Likewise, the relationship between Burt and Holloway was lacking, although there was great potential given the two actor's track record with each other (Little Miss Sunshine). One cameo that did make me smile was Jay Mohr as a magician struggling to get shows.

Verdict: Ultimately this comedy failed because of a dodgy plot and the fact that it tried to walk a line between a family comedy and trying to be edgy.

Oz: The Great and Powerful

Since Judy Garland first explored the land of Oz in 1939, there have been many sequels and various different interpretations of the original. Sometimes ranging from the straightforward (Return to Oz, it is very dark though) to the wacky (Zardoz, Tin Man, The Wiz, the list is endless). Most of these films and  stage performances take place after the events of the original film, in which Dorothy or some other young girl is swept off to the land of Oz.

But Sam Raimi (of Spiderman and Evil Dead fame) has created a story which I have always wondered about. It is that of the titular wizard. Oscar Diggs (James Franco), or Oz, as is his stage name, is working for a traveling circus in Kansas with his assistant Frank (Zach Braff). One stormy afternoon after a show, Oz is confronted by the circus' strongman and escapes via a hot air balloon. However, this balloon proceeds straight into a tornado that transports him to the land of Oz (like there's any other way to get there).

Once there he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), a witch who lives in the Emerald City with her sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz). They inform him of the prophecy laid down by the previous ruler, that a wizard would come to claim the throne and defeat the Wicked Witch. Evanora convinces Oz to go and defeat the Wicked Witch and also tells Theodora that Oz has left her for Glinda (Michelle Williams), who we find out is the Good Witch. 

Once Oz discovers that Glinda is a good witch, whose father was murdered by Evanora, she convinces him to help defeat the real threat to the land. Meanwhile, Evanora has given Theodora an enchanted apple that will take away the pain of Oz leaving her. This also transforms her into the Wicked Witch of the West that we all know and love.

Oz must create an army that he will lead to the Emerald City. He does this with the help of his friends Finley (Zach Braff again), a not so scary flying monkey, and China Girl (Joey King), whose story arc is amazingly touching. He also has help from the people of Oz, namely farmers, tinkers and everyone's favourite Munchkins (who are only permitted half a song). They all then march on the Emerald City for the final confrontation with the evil sisters.

It is worth mentioning that the first 15-20 minutes of the film is black and white and is not widescreen. This is a great callback to the original film and, like that one, once the land of Oz is reached, colour and widescreen are restored. There are a number of other references to the original film, such as a cowardly lion and many scarecrows. I was waiting for the trifecta of a Tin Man, but alas there was none.

Also, like in the original film, many of the character's introduced to us in Oz have counterparts in Kansas. Finley is Oz's assistant Frank and China Girl is a wheelchair bound girl who comes to watch Oz's magic show.

One terrifying aspect of this film is the monkeys, as no trip to Oz is complete without them. If you were scared by the flying monkeys of the original, or even the nightmare inducing wheelers from Return to Oz (really horrifying stuff), there is no respite in this movie. Here, they are baboons with giant bat wings and are just plain terrifying.

Verdict: A proper return to Oz, with all the elements of the original film (minus the singing).

This post originally appeared on Mosca Media.