Will Ferrell needs to take a break from making movies. There is very little in this world worse than celebrity overexposure. So, before Ferrell catches the Pauly Shore syndrome, he should stop while he's on top. Well, he should have stopped while he was on top. Now he just needs to stop. Period.
"Bewitched" is the last in a series of somewhat funny but overall mediocre movies that Will Ferrell has starred in. The downhill spiral started after "Anchorman." He became a household name and his once refreshing comedy now causes uncontrollable eye rollage.
In "Bewitched," Ferrell stars as Jack Wyatt, an actor and archetypal Hollywood narcissist. Wyatt's career is ruined after he makes a terrible movie that costs the studio millions of dollars. His only chance to breathe life back into his dying career is to star in a television remake of the classic television show "Bewitched."
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Due to his narcissism, Wyatt hires an unknown in the business so as to retain all of the media attention for himself. He finds Isabel Bigelow (played by Nicole Kidman) to play Samantha. Isabel has recently retired as a witch in order to try a crack at a normal life and possibly find love.
One can guess the entire movie from that point on. Isabel falls for Wyatt, puts a spell on him, takes the spell off, Wyatt falls for Isabel, etc, etc. It's predictable to the point of being obnoxious, but there are moments that are funny, such as Wyatt's appearance on "Inside the Actor's Studio," with a cameo by James Lipton; when Wyatt is ass-naked on the "Conan O'Brian Show;" or when Isabel watches clips of Wyatt's terrible old movies in which he truly becomes a parody of an untalented Hollywood actor.
There is also a surprisingly good cast for this movie. Michael Caine, Steve Carrell, Jason Schwartzman, Shirley MacLaine and Steven Colbert all have bit parts. Sadly, the material is not worthy of their presence in the film. But perhaps they wanted to ride the Ferrell wave before it rolls back.
The unfunny Kidman just could not keep up. She tries too hard to be adorable and ends up being flat out unbearable. Perhaps "Bewitched" would have been better if someone else had played Isabel. Anyone else.
This year's summer movies are almost all remakes, sequels and adaptations. Perhaps the filmmakers should have thought twice about making a movie out of a television show that was not even that good to begin with.
The movie exists almost entirely separately from the television show and does not really copy the original work, since the show itself is mentioned in the movie. But audiences don't need to have any background with the show in order to figure out that this movies sucks.
"Bewitched" tried too hard to make "Bewitched" interesting and fun. It ended up ruining whatever legacy the show might have had and the confidence that people had in Ferrell's comedy. The tiny moments of funny are not worth eight dollars. And neither is seeing Ferrell naked. Wait for rental if you are going to see it at all.