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When I was a kid, I loved watching the TV show Bewitched. Add to that the fact that I love both Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman, and it became pretty obvious that I was going to have to see the Bewitched movie—no matter how much it flopped at the theaters.
Kidman plays Isabel Bigelow, a witch who decides to start a new, normal, non-witch life in Hollywood. She wants to live like normal people do—and she wants to fall in love.
Ferrell plays Jack Wyatt, a movie star in a slump. Jack’s last film was a gigantic flop, and he’s taking to TV to resurrect his career. He’s been cast as Darrin, the unsuspecting mortal who turns out to have a witch for a wife, in the remake of the 60s show, Bewitched, and he’s determined to find a no-name actress to play Samantha—an actress who won’t upstage him. When Jack sees Isabel (and her perfect nose wiggle), he begs her to be his TV wife—and Isabel, hoping to find love in her co-star, finally agrees.
But things don’t go as planned for Isabel—and she quickly discovers that Jack doesn’t love anyone but himself, and he’s only using her to make himself look better. So she decides to do what Samantha would do—get even.
Bewitched definitely wasn’t a critical favorite—or a crowd favorite either, for that matter. And I went into the theater not expecting much. In a summer full of hokey remakes and sequels and other rehashed ideas, I knew this wouldn’t be too much more than summer-film fluff.
And, for the most part, I was right. But it was fun to see anyway.
Bewitched takes a new look at an old show—and that’s what makes it interesting. Since it’s not a sequel or a remake, the writers got to take on a different plot without getting complaints from the die-hard fans of the show. And, at the same time, they could play off the show’s characters and themes. Really, it’s a great idea—though, admittedly, one that could have been executed better.
Kidman is adorable, as usual, playing Isabel with perfect innocence. And Ferrell is his typical, over-the-top self—and while that doesn’t always work, it does here. Together, they make an odd pair—a cute but odd pair—making this a cute romantic comedy with a retro-TV twist. Of course, it’s not as distinctive as it could be. It’s pretty predictable, and it’s often corny (I see that as a positive thing, considering the often corniness of the original show, but you might not). But as long as you don’t come into it with high expectations, you won’t be too disappointed. If you loved watching Bewitched reruns as a kid, you’ll want to check out the movie, too—if only for old times’ sake.
