17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet and funny, September 11, 2005
In a seemingly endless sea of remakes which quickly (and rightfully) sink into oblivion, Bewitched deserves credit for at least putting a new spin on the formula. I can't imagine anyone but Nicole Kidman in the role of Isabel...she simply glows, you can't take your eyes off her. Will Ferrell delivers his usual goofy, over-the-top performance, which suits his character just fine. And at the heart of it all is a sweet and (mostly) old-fashioned love story. It also pays due reverence to its source, as Isabel keeps a picture of Elizabeth Montgomery in her dressing room, and wonders what the "real" Samantha would do. Sure, it's not perfect. In fact (minor spoiler alert!), I knocked off a whole star for the whole "Uncle Arthur" nonesense in the final act. But I laughed. A lot, in fact. I was delighted with Kidman's performance. And I left the film feeling pretty darn good. What more could you want?
For once, don't believe what the majority of critics have said. Bewitched is a great romantic comedy.
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21 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dr Bombay, Dr. Bombay! Emergency, please take this film away!, November 15, 2005
Shame, shame, shame on Nora Ephron.
Bewitched, for many of us late blooming Baby Boomers is a television series that holds a warm place in our heart. Hollywood decides to milk it for its film potential (what with Hollywood being creatively bankrupt, this is no big surprise). The result - pure disaster!
Why?
Let me count the ways.....
The film is about how a studio is remaking "Bewitched" the television series, but they make Darrin the focus instead of Samantha. The lame actor playing Darrin casts an unknown for Samantha, but little does he know she (Nicole Kidman) is really a witch who only wants to be normal (just like the Samantha from the original television series). Now this unknown has never heard of Bewitched or Samantha (in the movie Kidman's character's name is Isabelle).
See how clever this is? Not!
Now, Isabelle has never heard about Bewitched before, yet she has a dotty old Aunt Clara who carries door knobs around in her pocket book (just like Aunt Clara on the old TV series). Bizarro world, huh?
And Isabelle has an eccentric Uncle Arthur just like the television series...(Fortunately he only shows up at the end of the film in order to completely finish it off).
Isabelle doesn't have a mother in the picture - only her father (Michael Caine, who sleep walks through his sad role). What about Endora you ask?
Well, Shirley MaClain plays Endora - only she is really playing an actress named Iris, who is playing Endora in the television series. Or is she just that?
Where's Dr. Bombay? What about Serina? Where's the witches council?
I'm sure that the producers thought this film might spark off a sequel. I sure hope not. This first film is so horrible it could turn people off to the charming television series from the 60's.
Michael Caine's "Daddy" keeps popping up on frozen food cartons and jars of dressing. In the television series, Maurice Evans' Daddy was a dignified Shakespeare quoting gentleman. Here, he is an Uncle Arthur knock off - which is weird since the producers bring in "uncle Arthur" later in the film.
Endora, as a character in the new television series, played by Iris something or other (actually played by MacClaine) is a ham actress of former fame, who may or may not really be a witch (although she doesn't know Isabelle). She's a joke - and not a funny one. Agnes Moorehead's Endora was never a joke.
The original television series succeeded so well, because the characters were clearly defined. It was very loosely based on the 1940's Veronica Lake film, "I Married a Witch". 1960's Bewitched used popular actors for the leads, but filled the supporting roles with well known, tried and true, well trained, dignified, and award winning character actors, like Agnes Moorehead - "Mother/Endora" (four times nominated for Academy Award), Maurice Evans - "Daddy"(Tony award winning Shakespearean stage actor), Marion Lorne (a fine radio actress), David White as Larry Tate (a reknowned stage actor);Estelle Winwood and Reta Shaw (character actors extrordinaire); Bernard Fox (Dr. Bombay); and Paul Lynde (Uncle Arthur).
It's a shame that the actors of merit in this film (Kidman, Caine, and MacClaine) are all wasted and play second fiddle to pitiful writing and sad direction and editing.
I really can't imagine a more horrible re-visioning of the charming 1960's television series.
This film doesn't deserve to even be associated with the name of that original series.
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