The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Yahoo ... under the headline comedy "bombs."

 

Did anyone thing this movie was going to be anything close to Bruce Almighty?

I would have been stunned if Burt Wonderstone made anything close to $100 million. I think they were probably hoping for half that, and they won't make that much now, at least not domestically...

As it is, it will probably make it's budget back domestically, and profits will depend on how it does overseas (probably not that well...) and on DVD/On Demand...

 

LA Entertainment Reporter Sam Rubin was on The Reelz Show today and delivered a video version of this Facebook posting, in which I think he makes some very good points:

Sam Rubin
12 hours ago
Encore posting; Why "Burt Wonderstone" bombed....the truth the studio ignored....
Why did another major movie bomb this weekend? Here’s why.
The failure of “Burt Wonderstone” and the power of restraint.
It came as no surprise to me that the new Steve Carrel, Jim Carrey comedy “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” would meet some challenges at the box office; and it has now been designated as an out and out bomb. From ‘Deadline Hollywood,:”
Even worse, pic scored a ‘C+’ CinemaScore, which will hurt word of mouth along with dismal 25% positive reviews from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
So the public and critics agree; the movie isn’t very funny; but what to me doomed ‘Wonderstone’ is a gag towards the end of the movie, where the character played by Jim Carrey engages in an extreme stunt that leaves him permanently and significantly disabled. I know the movie is only “a comedy,” but this feel-bad moment occurs just before the end of the movie and I think taints the entire experience. Not only is the movie not very funny; something really mean and unfunny takes place right towards the end; so you feel extra bad walking out of the theater.
What always shocks me is that filmmakers or studios simply don’t exercise the power of restraint. So often, “less is more.” How often have we seen someone on TV or on the big screen and thought, “if they toned it down by 10%, the results would be 90% better.” This simple equation could have and should have been applied here. A rising tide raises all boats, and the reverse is true when a movie bombs; it is bad for the entertainment business overall. I don’t know if “Burt Wonderstone,” could have ever been a hit; but I certainly know why it wasn’t.

 

Yeah, last night I talked to a friend who had just seen it and I said, "How was it?" and he said, "Don't go see it, don't rent it, don't bother..."

If a movie that is being marketed and promoted as a goofy comedy really has a depressing ending, then they're getting what they deserve.

 

The criticism of 'mean and unfunny' actually makes me want to see it despite having no previous interest in it.

 

I feel the same. That review makes me think I might like it.

 

I'm not sure I'll "like it" but I'm glad to know it's not just all stupid stuff. If I have $7 burning a hole in my pocket on a given afternoon, I might check it out.

 

Silver Linings Playbook seemed to be marketed as a sports betting movie when it first rolled out.

 

A friend says the Burt Wonderstone movie is Ishtar-worthy.