Review of Bewitched (1981) by Lorenzo V — 21 Jan 2009

"Be warned. Be ready.".

Nora Ephron directed and co-wrote this updated adaptation of a classic situation comedy that also casts a satirical eye on the entertainment industry. Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) is a movie star whose career has been going into a slow and steady decline. Desperate for a project that will give his reputation a jump start, Jack agrees to star in a film version of the once-popular television series Bewitched as hapless hubby Darrin Stephens, under the condition that an unknown actress be cast as the female lead so he won't be upstaged. After auditioning dozens of women who fail to make the grade, Jack meets lovely and charming Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman), and is immediately certain she's the perfect choice to play witch-turned-housewife Samantha. However, there's one thing neither Jack nor the producers of the film know -- Isabel really is a witch, and while she's been trying to get along without her powers to better fit in among mortals, she will use her special talents when need be.

Review.

While I was not expecting miracles from a remake of a classic TV show, I still expected new twists and an exciting plot. I found much of the movie to be redundant and unnecessary. It is easy to become disconnected from the characters and the storyline. The setting is uninteresting and difficult to stay focused on. It seemed to be a horrible waste of time and money. As much as I like Nicole Kidman, her performance was lackluster and Will Ferrell was very much himself...which was expected, but a deviation would have been appreciated. All of the worthwhile punchlines and jokes were used in the movie trailer...leaving audiences feeling as though they'd already seen the movie. If you are interested in Bewitched, just see the trailer.