June 26, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 19 Halle Berry stars as 911 operator in ‘The Call’ partner, Anton Marvelton; and Jim Carrey is a Criss Angel/David Blaine hybrid, Steve Gray. Burt and Anton have been friends since childhood, sharing their fascination with a store-bought magic kit, improving on its simple tricks, and turning their infatuation with magic into a lucrative career as professional magicians in a Las Vegas extravaganza featuring enormous illusions. When they see Steve Gray perform one of his amazing stunts for his cable TV show, they are impressed by the enormous audience he attracts and decide to make their act more exciting, which leads to unexpected and often funny results. Carell plays a variation of the nerdy goofball he has spent years refining in such comedies as “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and TV’s “The Office” as the clueless Michael Scott. The problem with “Wonderstone” is that the jokes are few and far between. Buscemi’s Anton, the likable sidekick, is easygoing and content to go with the flow, avoiding the swelled head and egomania his partner has developed. Carrey mugs constantly, and his character’s stunts, such as sleeping on hot coals or cutting his face to remove a playing card, induce squirms. His Steve has a madman’s eyes, and perhaps that is the point. Thank goodness for Alan Arkin. He appears in the beginning of the film as Rance Holloway, the TV magician who inspired Burt and Anton, and he pops up later as a dyspeptic resident of a retirement home. Though Arkin has played a variation of the grouchy old codger in practically every film he has made since “Little Miss Sunshine,” he still gets mileage out of it, and brightens the film whenever he appears. The two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack contains deleted scenes, alternate takes, gag reel, and the featurette “Making Movie Magic with David Copperfield.” The film is also available in a single-disc DVD edition. “Upside Down” (Millennium) is one of the oddest movies to come along in some time. Its premise is that two worlds with gravities that pull in opposite directions exist in an alternate universe. Those on the upper planet are prosperous and comfortable while those on the lower planet are poor and miserable, and must fight for whatever scraps they can obtain from above. Lowerworld Adam (Jim Sturgess) and upperworld Eden (Kirsten Dunst) spot each other from their respective mountain peaks and fall in love. But their trysts are interrupted one day by guards from the upper world. Movies can create their own worlds, (continued on Crossword page) Halle Berry in a scene from ‘The Call.’ by Dennis Seuling “The Call” (Sony) is a nifty thriller about a 911 operator, Jordan Turner (Halle Berry), who copes with all sorts of heavy-duty emergencies as part of her daily routine. She is calm, competent, and experienced. The opening of the film includes a montage of the wide range of calls that come into the call center and the toll they take on the operators. When one of Jordan’s incoming calls ends badly, she is deeply affected and is transferred to teach trainees the basics. However, when a call comes in from a kidnapped girl, Casey (Abigail Breslin), Jordan overcomes her fear and takes over. She applies all her skills, training, and instincts to try to locate Casey, who is locked in the trunk of a car, before it’s too late. Director Brad Anderson knows how to create and sustain suspense as Jordan formulates believable ways for Casey to attempt to get out of her situation while the abductor puts assorted obstacles in play to stymie pursuing police. Both Berry and Breslin are convincing as characters who must take part in a game of life-or-death. As the bad guy, Michael Eklund is initially creepy and scary, but tends to overplay in the film’s final third, which relies more on thriller flick clichés than clever scripting. The first part of the movie deserves a much better resolution. Bonuses on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include a making-of featurette, commentary with Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin, an alternate ending, deleted and extended scenes, and Eklund’s audition tape. There is also a single-disc DVD edition available. “The Incredible World of Burt Wonderstone” (New Line) is about the fascination of magic and how arrogance erodes friendship. For good measure, there is a hearty helping of Las Vega glitz. Steve Carell plays the movie’s title role; Steve Buscemi is his