Nicole Kidman wiggles her nose, bats her eyelashes, and adopts a really weird Marilyn Monroe-ish whisper as she takes on the role of Isabel Bigelow, a witch who wants to hang up her broomstick. Will Ferrell co-stars as a big-time Hollywood actor who’s hit a major slump in his career and has to resort to taking the lead in the remake of a classic TV sitcom.
Basically the story follows Isabel, a witch who moves into the suburbs with a dream of becoming just an ordinary, average human being. After vowing to leave her witchy ways behind, Isabel is approached by fading Hollywood star Jack Wyatt (Ferrell) who spots her nose-wiggling talent and wants to make her his “Bewitched” co-star.
After throwing a hissy fit about not wanting to be upstaged by a recognizable actress, Wyatt’s on the lookout for a complete unknown he can manipulate. After a series of box office flops, he’s not about to let whoever plays Samantha steal the spotlight. As Jack is quick to point out, Darrin was replaced in the original series and no one noticed. Jack vows that won’t happen to his ‘Darrin’.
Jack believes he’s found his patsy – or in this case his ‘Samantha’ - in Isabel. Isabel’s soon convinced to take the role, even though she has no acting experience. But unbeknownst to the ‘desperate for a hit thus ensuring adoration and continued fame’ Wyatt, Isabel won’t just be playing a witch who wants to marry a mortal; she is a witch who wants to marry a mortal.
While Kidman’s chiefly associated with dramas and award-caliber type films, she can do comedy (“To Die For”) and she pulls this one off fairly well. There are moments when Kidman seems uncomfortable in character, but for the most part she’s fun to watch.
Will Ferrell has much more to do in “Bewitched” than do the rest of his co-stars. Ferrell’s called upon to alternately look like a jerk, a clown, a man in love, and an actor desperately worried about his career. He takes it over the top often, but this kind of breezy affair needs that bit of extravagance from its actors to keep it going.
The filmmakers decided to use every recognizable song that has anything to do with witchcraft in the soundtrack, which at first is kind of fun but ultimately becomes just plain silly. In fact, some scenes feel as though they were staged just to fit another ‘witchy’ song in.
Stylistically, the film seems rooted in the sitcom world, with bright, flashy colors and a setting straight out of TV Land of the 70s. I'm assuming the effects are meant to look a little cheesy, in keeping with the tone of the original series. If the cheesiness was done on purpose, then the filmmakers did a great job.
A summer popcorn film if there ever was one, “Bewitched” isn’t a movie you have to engage your brain to sit through. You also do not have to be a fan of the original series to get the premise or the jokes, though a little knowledge of the series helps, especially when Steve Carell appears on the scene as Uncle Arthur.
“Bewitched” has its faults. The last 30 minutes are laboriously slow. The chemistry between Kidman and Ferrell is barely existent. And speaking of Ms. Kidman, she looks so China Doll perfect that it’s distracting. But despite those flaws, “Bewitched” is actually pretty cute. There’s a decent amount of laughs, Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine steal every scene they’re in, and while it doesn’t feature the best performance by any of the actors involved, it’s still an engaging little comedy.
This Nora Ephron scripted/directed romantic comedy is nothing special, but it does have a certain likeability to it that’s compelling. Moviegoers looking for less serious fare than “Batman Begins” or more adult-oriented comedy than “Herbie Fully Loaded,” may find the light, uncomplicated, campy fun of “Bewitched” to be just the ticket.
GRADE: B-
"Bewitched" was directed by Nora Ephron and is rated PG-13 for some language, including sex and drug references, and partial nudity.
