Hey folks, Harry here with the review you've all been dying for... BEWITCHED. I know, I know... you've suffered through that inane behind the scenes for the film during Regal's THE TWENTY for the past month. Watching all the material growing painfully unfunny as you were forced to watch this innoculous pap and hope for something new. Well, we got our first review for BEWITCHED - and it isn't an over the top lovefest... nor is it a hate filled diatribe about turning television shows into feature films - that aren't called AIRWOLF, MISFITS OF SCIENCE, MANIMAL or AUTOMAN. No, instead this is a begrudgenly positive review from a geek that wished he was watching WAR OF THE WORLDS or KING KONG, but found himself watching... and enjoying this instead. Here ya go...
Hey Guys!
You know what? I wish I could have been the one to write in with the
early review of Batman Begins or War of the Worlds or King Kong. All I
got was Bewitched. Damn. Is there like a geek draw straws contest,
which decides on who gets to see what first, that happens between you
guys? I must have drawn the short straw. I'm not complaining though.
After Bewitched decided to throw in the towel and say times up, I left
the theater feeling like all my previous bouts with chick flicks -
pleased, as the film as a whole is pretty solid and funny, but not
blown away. Typical guy response!
Let me say this first: I am not a huge fan of Nora Ephron, but I'm not
one of the thousands or millions of lonely fan boys who hates these
types of films because they don't have pussy jokes (although, there is
one really funny dick joke in this one), nudity, or senseless
violence. Her films are chick flicks! When you take your girl to see
Sin City, ROTS, and Old Boy, there is a point when she will say,
"stop, can we see that movie with Hugh Grant?" Their time will come. I
hope! Anyway, I'm not ignorant enough to say that When Harry Met
Sally's only funny part was when Meg Ryan busted her gills, that
Sleepless in Seattle was the lame Tom Hanks movie with the kid, or
that the only reason that You've Got Mail was funny was because of
Dave Chappelle. No, they are good if not great romantic comedies and,
honestly, way better than any movie of the same ilk with Ashton
Kutcher or Freddie Prinze. So, I didn't go in thinking that the only
reason why I am going to see this film is so I can make my girl happy
enough to blow me when we get home. Due to the trailers, I was sort of
excited I guess. And come on, Will Ferrell.
If you have seen the trailers, you know the entire story, and if not,
well, the movie is a sort of remake inside a remake of the old
television series Bewitched, starring Nicole Kidman (Isabel) and Will
Ferrell (Jack). The premise is pretty simple: Jack's career as an
actor has stalled, especially after his last film bombed at the box
office (a running joke through the entire film, and, yes, it gets
old). So what does he do? He pulls a Kiefer Sutherland, with the help
of his personal assistant, Ritchie (played by the funny Jason
Schwartzman), and pursues a career on the small screen. In pops the
producers for the Bewitched remake and they want him. Bad. There is a
catch though. In order to restore what little value to the acting
world Jack had, he decides to take center stage on the show and cast a
nobody as the role of Samantha. The producers search long and hard and
just when they are about to give up, in walks Isabel. Actually, Jack
finds her in a bookstore. He talks her into joining the cast, and once
again, there is another plot twist. She is a real witch! Shocker.
Things start out nicely for the two, with Isabel falling deep for the
cocky, but charming, Jack; however, when she finds out that Jack is
using her for her lack of acting ability, she gets mad and uses her
powers. After Jack finds out that she is a witch, he goes crazy with a
ketchup bottle, and well, you know.....
Don't go into this movie thinking that it's centered on Will Ferrell,
because it's not. Bewitched is all about Nicole Kidman. Isabel is
tired of her witchy ways - snapping her fingers, errr, I mean tugging
her ear, to get whatever she wants. She just wants a real life. No
spells and no tricks. Just real love! So when Isabel finds a guy who
is as real as can be (shallow and cocksure), she goes after him,
although she is a little reluctant to tell him about her true origins.
I know you've seen this plot before, nothing to fancy.
Bewitched is a fun movie. I really think Nora Ephron made this film
for a younger audience (i.e., teens), as there is a lot of "dry"
comedy missing in this one compared to her previous comedies. And I
like her previous films; it's just that Bewitched is different. The
actors look like they had a blast playing their characters. Nicole
Kidman is really "cute" throughout the entire film. She seems like she
is having fun with Isabel, and Nicole really pulled off the naive,
fish-out-of-water role extremely well. Unless I completely missed
something, Isabel has been away from the real world and doesn't
understand things like cable, cooking, knowing what a television
script is, or sex. The film doesn't explain what she was doing or
where she was living before landing in California. I guess if you are
a witch, you don't have sex or know what male reproductive organs are
called, since she didn't know what "dick" meant. And yes, my health
class referred to a penis as a dick, but that's not the point. After
Birth, it's nice to see Nicole Kidman in a fun summer comedy. As I
said before, Will Ferrell is not the main character; however, even
though he didn't pull off the leading man role in this one as some
people are hoping, since you will have to try really hard to believe
that someone like Nicole Kidman's Isabel would fall in love with a
douche bag like Jack, he really stole the scenes away from everyone
else with his antics. The Jack character reminds me a lot of Jim
Carrey in Liar Liar. What will Jack do now in this situation or in
front of this person because Isabel put a spell on him? Most of the
time, Will Ferrell has some really funny lines, and even though there
are some places in the film where he does one to many "gay twirls," he
really is someone that has great comedic timing and hopefully will
branch out into stronger roles, as Jack is just a role for him to be
goofy. His "did they pass out crack before the screen test" scene is
hilarious, and I want to know if he made it up on the spot, since it
seems totally unscripted. And there is even a cameo by someone he used
to lampoon on SNL. I'm really anxious to see what he does in Stranger
Than Fiction and A Confederacy of Dunces, if it ever gets made. As for
the other supporting characters, Michael Caine is great and charming
as her warlock father, although he just pops up in only a few scenes.
Isabel's blond neighbor has some rather smart one-liners, although I
can tell that some people will get annoyed. She is a yippy sorostitute
that everyone used to sit next to in English class in college. Shirley
MacClaine has so few lines in this film, it's a shame to even write
about it. The only major complaint I have about the film is its lame
as hell ending. I'll probably get shot for this, but Steve Carell has
ruined a movie with his (non) scene-stealing self. Wait, you know
what, I'll take that back; I wouldn't say he ruined the film, because
I don't know why his character is even in the end in the first place
and it's a shame he had to be a part of it, but I would say it's
entirely the screenwriter's fault. His five or six minutes of screen
time make no sense at all (only that Jack mentions him on a few
occasions as being a fan). To not spoil the ending, Carell is a
catalyst in hopefully bringing the two leads together, and his
character doesn't work! I wasn't expecting to have some grand finale
with CGI and Jack and Isabel singing and dancing, but come on, don't
just tact on a ridiculous ending that might have been added to pay
homage to the original series.
Other than the ending, Bewitched is a sweet romantic comedy with fun
performances by the two romantic leads and with occasional sprinkles
of hilarious one-liners by the supporting players. Nora Ephron does a
wonderful job of not destroying the classic series and occasionally
adds some witty style all her own. This film is not a gross out comedy
or a stupid melodramatic cheese fest, and if you are a fan of Nora
Ephron's previous films, you will probably leave this one on after TBS
runs Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail back-to-back for the
hundredth time.
If you use this, great. Just call me "facescrew."
