Genre: Comedy
Source: USA (2013)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: Glynn Place Stadium Cinemas
Grade: C
I mean, honestly. Can nothing good come to the theaters in February and March?
I will admit that I enjoyed this movie almost entirely on the good will I have toward the actors, though the film on the whole wastes a perfectly good setting in the absurd world of Las Vegas magicians. I really like Steve Carrell, though he is a caricature of a person for a good 2/3 of the movie, speaking with a weird cadence that doesn't quite work. I also really like Steve Buscemi, who always seems genuine, even when he's in a sub-par comedy. There's just something about him in this movie that says, "I'm just happy to be here," and that worked pretty perfectly for the character. And once again, my crush on Olivia Wilde allows me to forgive the otherwise average-ness of her performance here.
Jim Carrey, surprisingly, is the only standout to me here, playing Steve Gray (Mind Rapist), a Criss Angel/David Blaine mash-up character who is so absurd and out of touch with reality that everyone wonders if he's an idiot, a savant, or just buys into his own hype. Until his final gags, Carrey works well, with a sincerity and a ridiculousness that makes the character entertaining--even as everyone around him is grossed out.
But still, this one is going to fly under the radar of most people, and deservedly so. Though I enjoyed myself because of my fondness for the actors, most of the jokes miss, the plot is obvious and straightforward, and the emotional resolution unearned. The funniest part of the film is the "revelation" of how the final magic act is performed, which is so ridiculous that one can't help but laugh. Unfortunately, that's one of the very few real laughs in the film--and I don't think comedy is what they meant to make disappear. (Wow, what a bad pun!)
Alternate Film Title: "Too Much of Steve Carrell's Waxed Chest"
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