By the tepid ending, the movie appears to have been sedated.
Bewitched (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:40
Fresh:7
Rotten:33
Average Rating:4.2/10
Consensus: Bewitched is haunted by scattered laughs and a lack of direction.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some language, including sex and drug references, and partial nudity
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Jun 24, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $62,252,415
Synopsis: In Columbia Pictures' beguiling romantic comedy, Bewitched, an all-star cast led by Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine cast their spell on the movie version of one of... In Columbia Pictures' beguiling romantic comedy, Bewitched, an all-star cast led by Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine cast their spell on the movie version of one of TV's most memorable and beloved shows under the direction of Nora Ephron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Delia Ephron for producers Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall and Nora Ephron. Out in California's San Fernando Valley, Isabel (Nicole Kidman), is trying to reinvent herself. A naive, good-natured witch, she is determined to disavow her supernatural powers and lead a "normal" life. At the same time, across town, Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) a tall, charming actor is trying to get his career back on track. He sets his sights on an updated version of the beloved 1960's situation comedy "Bewitched," reconceived as a starring vehicle for himself in the role of the mere-mortal Darrin. Fate steps in when Jack accidentally runs into Isabel. He is immediately attracted to her and her nose, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the nose of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha in the original TV version of "Bewitched." He becomes convinced she could play the witch Samantha in his new series. Isabel is also taken with Jack, seeing him as the quintessential mortal man with whom she can settle down and lead the normal life she so desires. It turns out they're both right - but in ways neither of them ever imagined. Columbia Pictures Presents A Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wich/Penny Marshall Production Bewitched starring Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine. The film also stars Jason Schwartzman, Kristin Chenoweth, Heather Burns, Jim Turner, Stephen Colbert, David Alan Grier and Steve Carell. The director is Nora Ephron. Written by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron. The producers are Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall and Nora Ephron. The executive producers are James W. Skotchdopole, Steven H. Berman and Bobby Cohen. The production designer is Neil Spisak. The editor is Tia Nolan. The costume designer is Mary Zophres. The music is by George Fenton. -- © Columbia Pictures [More]
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman, Kristin Chenoweth, Steve Carell
Director: Nora Ephron
Director: Nora Ephron
Screenwriter: Delia Ephron, Nora Ephron
Producer: Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall, Nora Ephron
Composer: George Fenton
Studio: Columbia Pictures
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Reviews for Bewitched
What this revival needs is a good kick in the pants. And that Ephron and friends lack the low cunning to deliver.
The Ephron sisters, sophisticates entrusted with a simple TV situation comedy, lose the magic of the com as they mess with the sit.
In the original TV series, Elizabeth Montgomery had this kind of sexy, subversive personality. Here we just have this naïve person who just flits about.
The artificiality of Bewitched is so exaggerated that it almost works in the movie's favor for the first 20 minutes or so, before that heavy synthetic Ephron odor really sets in.
A phony and cynical look at how Hollywood might make or remake a television show.
Screenwriters Ephron and her sister Delia are able to get laughs and make character points even in the moments of laying out a fairly involved exposition, and that's no small thing. That's skilled craftsmanship.
After Kidman and Ferrell have hit all the expected marks (meet cute, encounter obstacles, fall in love, encounter fatal setback, fall back in love), the movie winds up being hoist on its own petard, becoming the butt of one of its own inside jokes.
For one thing, it looks every bit as drab as the average 1966 sitcom did: overlit, flat, studiobound and phony. For another, it's just as unfunny as the original.
Kidman is enchanting, true, and Caine, MacLaine and Chenoweth work hard, but even with the few good gags sprinkled throughout, you don't leave the theater smiling. The spell fades. The magic just isn't there.
Though there are funny bits here and there, the script just isn't funny enough.
Ephron casts a spell full of romantic-comedy charm even as it goes about the post-modern business of toying with our fondness for pop-cultural baubles like Bewitched. Consider the sparkling mood Ephron maintains as irreverent reverence.
Bewitched is respectful of its origin, and it's brave enough to go beyond the obvious. Unfortunately, it goes beyond in a somewhat wrong direction. As a result, this broom stick doesn't really fly, it just glides along.
Admittedly, there's a certain fascination in watching Kidman deliver these lines. You can see her struggling to make acting decisions with a character who requires none.
Ms. Kidman goes through it all as if impersonating an adorable trick-or-treater.
The result is not only an homage to the original TV show, it's also a gentle -- and at times hilarious -- spoof of Hollywood.
The movie proves a marginal creation from talented people who probably would have been better off finding another broomstick to fly.
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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