In just over 24 hours, trailers for comedies I had no expectations about led me to reassess. Hey, now, be nice: there’s one of my kind born every minute.

Yes, it’s possible that The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is blowing its wad with this first preview — it definitely wouldn’t set some new example — but, if nothing else, we’ll have received a surprisingly solid collection of footage from it all. (You take what you can get these days.) The comedy, 30 Rock director Don Scardino‘s feature debut, follows Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, and Olivia Wilde as magicians competing on the Las Vegas circuit — something which, in short, has the ingredients to be pretty dreadful.

But everybody looks pretty game for the proceedings, making it all the better that their material isn’t half-bad in its own right. And that’s not even taking into account the supporting input of Alan Arkin and James Gandolfini, both of whom are also providing some stuff I like; despite already appearing familiar for either, it’s hard to do bad by them. (Nice to see a Richard Wolffe cameo, too. Films need more of him.) So, with Burt Wonderstone, I’m willing to dole out a chance. It won’t be Bresson, but that’s not what any sane person is coming to this for, anyway.

The trailer can be seen below (via Apple):

Synopsis:

Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt’s growing ego. But lately the duo’s greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they’ve grown to loathe each other. Facing cutthroat competition from guerilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult followingsurges with each outrageous stunt, even their show looks stale. But there’s still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act—both onstage and off—if Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone will open on March 15th, 2013.

Does this trailer do anything to make you think Wonderstone is worthwhile?