The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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The Girls Who Code club met together in Sierra Hall, on Friday, Sept. 15, in Northridge, Calif. Club members played around with a program to create a virtual game.
The CSUN club that’s encouraging women in STEM
Miya Hantman, Reporter • September 18, 2023

CSUN’s Girls Who Code club is just one of many across many campuses and countries, including 110 in...

Students form a crowd for DJ Mal-Ski on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Northridge, Calif.
Matador Nights carnival makes a splash at the USU
Ryan Romero, Sports Editor • September 21, 2023

The University Student Union hosted “Matador Nights” on Sept. 8 from 7 p.m. to midnight. The...

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock by FiledIMAGE.
Women’s Soccer has Closed the Competitive Gap
Luis Silva, Reporter • September 19, 2023

There is no longer a significant competitive gap in the sport of women’s soccer. There is a brighter...

The line for concert merchandise on the second night of The Eras Tour in Paradise, Nev., on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
My experience at The Eras Tour
Miley Alfaro, Sports Reporter • September 18, 2023

It’s been a long time coming. I began watching The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift’s ongoing concert trek,...

Within the Oaxacan town of Asuncion Nochixtlan, we find my mother’s birthplace, Buena Vista. Photo taken July 29, 2023.
I Love Being Mexican
September 12, 2023
A student holds up a sign during a rally outside of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2023.
CSU board approves tuition increase amid protests
Trisha Anas, Editor in Chief • September 15, 2023

The California State Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a 6% tuition increase for the next five...

group of mena and women touching hands
Miracles In Action Restores Patients’ Lives and Actualizes their Potential

‘Burt Wonderstone’ is anything but magical

Burt Wonderstone is anything but magical
Courtesy of MCT

Growing up I wasn’t a fan of magic. I never understood the appeal of a guy waving a wand around, or pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The wonder never took ahold of me. So going into “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” I was hoping to get a few laughs and maybe even a glimpse into something I had shied away from as a kid.

Was I asking too much? Yep. What I ended up getting was The Incredible Burt Wonderstone- a movie so lost in its own bewildered sense of magic you can’t help but feel cheated by its sloppy prestige.

Steve Carell plays the title role, a cynical magician who has lost his way. He dumps his best friend and partner, Anton Marvelton, (Steve Buscemi) and is fired by his boss, Doug Munny, (James Gandolfini). Burt must then regain his love of magic, get his friend back, get the girl and… well, you know the rest.

The story (team behind ‘Horrible Bosses’) is a mess, and the direction by Don Scardino (30 Rock) felt uninspired. Some of the gags had potential, mainly Jim Carrey’s as an over-the-top magician stealing Burt’s thunder. However, the comedic effect is lost on the films infuriating habit of pulling its punches.

It’s obvious who the movie takes shots at (Criss Angel, David Blaine, Sigfried and Roy), but it seems as if they didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. As an audience member this was frustrating, especially with characters this blatantly uneven. Carell looks bored, Carrey’s shtick is beaten like a dead horse (an actual scene in the movie; kind of) and Olivia Wilde chooses yet another flat role. Buscemi, Gandolfini and the reliable Alan Arkin give it a shot, but none of them really seem to care. Rightfully so, their talents are wasted on a one-note mess.

That aside, the biggest issue with the film, aside from not being funny, lies with Wonderstone himself. Carell tries, but the character is too unlikeable to empathize with. When Wilde’s character, Jane, tries to right Burt’s path, he just gets worse. Only when Burt meets his idol, Rance Holloway (Arkin) does he start to slightly change, but even then he is played more like a buffoon and less like a comeback kid.  The outrageous ending only makes matters worse by opting for a mean-spirited and phony final act. Considering the talent on and off the screen, it’s probably best for everyone to move on and forget this cheap trick.

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