Some movies are like cotton candy -- you don't expect any substance from them, but they're sweet and enjoyable nonetheless.
Bedazzled- PG-13
Starring:
Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser
Directed by:
Harold Ramis
Now playing:
Now Playing at Showplace East 11
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Harold Ramis' remake of the 1967 film "Bedazzled" takes a plot that's been recycled for hundreds of years (since Goethe's "Faust," in case you were wondering) and makes it fun and playful. With two delectable stars in Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley, this is a film worth watching just for the eye candy, regardless of your preference.
But back to the plot. The Devil (Hurley) tempts pathetic, lonely Elliot (Fraser) with seven wishes in exchange for his soul. After some hesitation he agrees, and wackiness ensues. One by one, Elliot's wishes go awry, with amusing mishaps and the occasional amazing special effects, all leading to the inevitable sappy ending. Of course he learns the only way to truly be happy is to be yourself and that wishes aren't the way to get what you want.
As with life, though, the best part of this movie is not the ending, it's the trip you take to get there. Hurley changes clothes more times than the audience wants to count, each time showing more and more flesh and trying to be playful and evil all at once. Her vixen act seemed to work on the male members of the audience, and with her manipulative, impish nature, she certainly seems the Princess of Darkness.
Fraser, on the other hand, changes faces more times than the audience wants to count and gives an impressive and hilarious performance, changing his personality every five minutes to match the current wish. His transformation from obnoxious techno-geek to suave, sexy auteur shows just how underrated his acting career has been thus far.
Don't see "Bedazzled" if you expect an insight into the concepts of good and evil. Don't even see it if you want a better version of the film than Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore offered in 1967. See it because you want to be entertained. It's a smart, funny, playful comedy meant to make you laugh.
And it's sinfully delicious.
