Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Bedazzled (2000) - 5 stars out of 10

Bedazzled (2000) - 5 stars out of 10

From “Damn Yankees” to “The Devil’s Advocate,” the Faust legend has been interpreted many different ways.  “Bedazzled” departs from the dark tone of this legend with this comical spin on the idea of selling one’s soul to the devil.  The script is far from being theologically sound as it thrives on situational irony and tongue-in-cheek jabs at society.  If you enjoy staring at Elizabeth Hurley, you will love watching her she-devil character.  If you enjoy staring at Brendan Fraser, you would probably prefer George of the Jungle.  I get that it's a comedy and I shouldn't read too deeply into it, but I was bothered by the shallowness of the plot. No situation has any bearing on the real world. It's like a series of dreams without consequences instead of a progression of these wishes altering his life.  Even Aladdin got that part right.  Moreover, the movie begins to feel pretty repetitive as each ironic situation fails to teach us anything new.  I’m not sure if the writers felt constrained by the original story, but this remake missed out on its potential.  Outside of the script, the acting is fine and I was impressed by some of the artistry.  I was surprised because I don’t approach comedies with an expectation of creative visual moments like the cool time-lapse effects.  Some of the green screen effects though, that’s a different story.  “Bedazzled” is worth watching, but maybe just as background noise instead of a date-night feature.

[Pictured: Hurley and Fraser make a good comedic pair]

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