Bewitched

Campy remakes and Nicole Kidman just don't mix, although the problem is not the actress' performances. She added bite and ironic melodiousness to last year's slapdash, self-destructing The Stepford Wives, and she keeps this self-aware, big-screen version of Bewitched afloat with her comedic timing and perky naiveté, starring here as an actual witch who becomes a Hollywood actress and is cast as Samantha in a network update of the titular 1960s sitcom. But this comedy is a mess at the screenplay level, changing mood, direction, and the rules of its own reality in every other scene. Add to the mix a prefabricated and flat romance between Kidman and Will Ferrell, as a superficial egomaniac movie star hoping to prop up his crumbling career by playing mortal husband Darren, and this cinematic potion is far from magical. Director/co-writer Nora Ephron was clearly more interested in building a plot around predetermined jokes than finding the humor in a good story, and her out-of-whack priorities here are what hex Bewitched. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Nora Ephron, a “Witch Vision Trivia Track” allowing viewers to see popup trivia facts throughout, the 24-minute “making-of” featurette “Casting a Spell,” eight “Star Shots” clips of interviews with the cast (20 min.), six deleted scenes (8 min.), the seven-minute featurette “Why I Loved Bewitched” featuring stars sharing their memories of the hit television show, a DVD trivia game, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a comedic misfire.] (R. Blackwelder)