Movie Review

Bewitched

Bewitched is not the terrible movie I was expecting. But it?s also not a surprisingly good one. I thought the trailer was pretty ridiculous, and I thought the movie would be lucky to even live up to The Stepford Wives (C+). This movie is very light and predictable, and yet I managed to tolerate it and even mildly enjoy it; but still, I can?t really give it a good name. I was mildly entertained ?in the moment,? but thinking back after the screening (a process that can be lethal with some movies), I realized how stupid and pointless it really was.

Will Ferrell stars as a TV producer who is looking to remake the classic show, Bewitched, which is about a witch. They are in need of a female lead who can wiggle her nose like their previous star. He then bumps into a very attractive yet clumsy and shy woman (Nicole Kidman) who fits the bill to a tee ? except she has a secret: She actually is a witch. She has powers to do most of anything with the click of her fingers but he is oblivious to that. She?s hired and is a sensation, and then the two start falling in love with each other.

The movie has that cute chick flick feel, but I didn?t find the tone painful. I thought Nicole Kidman did a pretty good job (she has an innocence and a level of vulnerability I felt was believable), and I thought Will Ferrell was actually amusing (even as a fan of his, I was cringing during the trailer). But on paper I bet Bewitched is quite mediocre, which makes me wonder why Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell would commit ? did they know that they could save the show? Or was Bewitched just the chance for these stars to work together, and with director Nora Ephron? She was, in fact, the director of Sleepless in Seattle and You?ve Got Mail, two of the biggest chick flicks ever made.

Throughout the movie I was comparing it to Melinda & Melinda (C+) since that featured Will Ferrell as well, and I didn?t think he was funny in that. I was bored during Melinda and I wasn?t bored during Bewitched. But comparing the two movies, I feel that Woody Allen actually tried for some substance with Melinda; Bewitched is just the formulaic romantic comedy fare we know so well.

The story is pretty stupid, but Ferrell has a gifted ability to do a lot with deadpan delivery. There are moments that are a little over the top and a bit too silly, but I ended up chuckling to a decent extent when he was onscreen. And I actually somewhat enjoyed the romantic scenes between his character and Kidman?s; their chemistry kind of worked despite their light material. But that is the problem I had with Bewitched ? it?s just light and predictable substance.

The movie doesn?t have any big selling points in the material (in terms of jokes you remember afterwards) and rather just relies on the chemistry between the two adorable characters/stars. Without Ferrell and Kidman, Bewitched would be a very average television series adaptation, and that is usually a sign that a movie didn?t really work as a whole; the material needs to sell on its own.

I had watched Kicking & Screaming (C+) recently for a second time and my opinion changed since my first viewing back in December. A few scenes that I had originally enjoyed had been cut, and a few new bits had been added that I didn?t think worked (it had turned into more of a family movie) ? and overall, I thought it was a mediocre flick. Not even Ferrell?s enthusiasm completely sold me this time, and I noticed how much the material was lacking.

Both of these movies are similar in terms of an actor or two making the best out of a very average script. And I did think Ferrell and Kidman achieved more in Bewitched than Ferrell did in Kicking & Screaming, but I still wouldn?t be able to fully recommend this to friends, nor many people in general. Yeah, I found it enjoyable in the moment, but the movie was completely forgettable by the time the ending credits played. Sometimes that can be an okay thing, as it works as an easy diversion, but that can also be the description for DVD rentals.

Being with a good audience probably helps enjoyment of a movie (which could?ve happened here), but a true test is watching it on DVD and seeing if the experience holds up. And I bet if I watched this movie on my own without an enthusiastic crowd (which I did have at this screening), my opinion might only be a slight notch above Kicking & Screaming. The movie is recommended to fans of this ?cute? genre, but otherwise this is matinee material at best.

Lee's Grade: C+

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%