Bedazzled

Rating:
Summary: simple but a perfect showcase for Brendan Fraser.
Review: 'Bedazzled' is kind of a comedic 'Tales From The Crypt'. It's split into 4 small vignettes almost with one main story to hold it together. Each 'vignette' is hit-or-miss but each provides Brendan Fraser to step out from behind his goody-boy persona and try something completely different. This is his most assured work since 'The Mummy' and he makes the best of it, carrying the weight of this severly flawed film on his more-than-capable shoulders. The Devil (played by the impossibly beautiful but inept Elizabeth Hurley) offers Elliot (Fraser) seven wishes in exchange for his soul. All he wants is to be with the girl he's love for four years, Alison (Frances O'Connor) but has never spoken to. Each wish involves Fraser trying to pin down exactly what type of man she wants. Then reacting in horror as each wish goes terribly wrong. When he wishes to be rich and powerful and married to Alison, the Devil turns him into a Mexican drug lord whose wife cheats on him. When he wishs to be a handsome, smart young man, the Devil complies making him ravishing and witty and homosexual (I didn't know being smart and good-looking instantly made you gay but OK). This is the formula and it is repeated over and over until the completely unconvincing and utterly ridiculous ending. But still Fraser does his job wonderfully proving that he is a brilliant comedic actor. Director Harold Ramis has seen better days but does manage to give a good and informative commentary track for the DVD. So, if you like something light-weight and without a shred of conviction, you'll love this movie. All others will simply appreciate Brendan Fraser's great performance(s) and weep that he ends up in films like this instead of being what he should be. Which is a superstar.

Rating:
Summary: Review #101--See This Film And Have Some Fun!
Review: BEDAZZLED is an enjoyable movie experience, thanks to the smart writing and the terrific performances of Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. The story is not new but this film has smart, funny dialogue (even poignant near the end). Hurley clearly relishes in her black-comedic role as "The Devil", while Fraser plays 7 different characters, and is very funny in all of them.

Brendan Fraser plays a nebbish named Elliot who annoys everyone he works with as he lacks any real social skill and always tries too hard to be everyone's friend (which makes me wonder how he ever got through both high school and college, but never mind such questions while you're watching this). He has a major crush on this girl Alison, who barely evens notices him. When he proclaims "I'd give my soul for her!", of course good ol' Beelzebub appears to him in the form of--Elizabeth Hurley. At first Elliot doesn't believe that this gorgeous woman in the red dress is the devil (which leads to a funny scene where she hands him her card which just simply says "The Devil"--which is an obvious tip of the hat to the 1977 George Burns-John Denver film "Oh, God!", where Burns hands Denver a card on which is simply printed "God").

When Hurley finally does convince Elliot, and Elliot reluctantly agrees to the Faustian bargain (on the premise that Alison will be all his), that's when the fun really begins. I won't give away any more of the film other than the fact that BEDAZZLED illustrates the old Chinese saying, "Be careful what you wish for--you might just get it" really well! This film is a lot of fun for kids 12 & up, as well as for adults.

Rating:
Summary: Some potential, no delivery.
Review: This remake of the original "Bedazzled," starring Dudley Moore and Peter Cook, almost struck me as interesting, but ultimately its a guest that outstays its welcome. Style-wise it certainly wants to be a good remake, but the narration and acting slowly kills it.

I think my biggest problem was Elizabeth Hurley. Sure, she's cute, but I think the producers were hoping her looks would carry her film, because it certainly wasn't her acting talent. Liz just doesn't have the same charisma Peter Cook did as the devil, and isn't too believable. Her role made Shannon Tweed look like Vanessa Redgrave.

Brendan Frasier has always been good with comedy, but the writers made his role seem uneven. In the original film Dudley Moore's character, right off the bat, was portrayed as a clumsy yet lovable clod. Frasier's character, on the other hand, is made out to be an unlikable guy that forces himself upon other people. Then we're supposed to assume he's too shy to meet a girl. I've met plenty of people that practically beg for attention, and I can guarantee you they are not shy of girls. They may not get to first base with them, but that doesn't mean they won't get a restraining order before the day is done.

There are SOME funny parts in this movie. Brendan's brief moments as a basketball player were funny, followed by the sequence where he becomes a witty intellectual (with a slight altercation), and then a very short bit where he's Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately, every thing before and after that is almost too unbarable to get though. There is also an awful conclusion to how Brendan gets his soul back. It was great in the original film, I don't know why this version's writers felt the need to rip off "Little Nicky."

This film was pretty disappointing, even though I wasn't expecting too much from what I saw going in. Some of you might find this funny, but I wouldn't suggest you put this high on your list of movies-to-see.

Rating:
Summary: First-Rate Comedy
Review: Way, way too many comparisons to the original version of this film, which is a shame: BEDAZZLED stands wonderfully and beautifully on its own merits. Directed by comedic genius Harold Ramis, this is a fast-paced, well-crafted, highly imaginative, hilarious film. Heck, even my accountant laughs at this one, which is saying something.

Based on the tried and true Faustian theme of selling one's soul to the devil, BEDAZZLED introduces us to hapless Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser), whose mediocre existence revolves around getting Alison, an attractive coworker (played by Frances O'Connor) to notice him, let alone go out with him. In desperation, Elliot offers to sell his soul to obtain Alison's affection, and the devil responds.

But this isn't just any ol' devil. This is a heart-palpitating, traffic stopping, bark at the moon Elizabeth Hurley, who makes a most lusty Lucifer, and who wears enough revealing outfits to pack a heart trauma center. Hurley's devil is seductive, playful, and of course delightfully wicked. She grants Elliot seven wishes to win over Alison, but she's ingenious enough to turn each optimistic wish into a disaster. For example: Elliot wishes to be a rich and powerful businessman, married to Alison; the devil grants his wish, only Elliot is a South American drug lord, hated by his wife and under siege from all sides. Each wish--no matter how carefully Elliot thinks he has covered all the bases--blows up in his face, to the blissful delight of the viewer.

What really impressed me was Fraser himself. Before seeing this film, I had placed the actor into the Stallone category of mutton heads, but Fraser very pleasantly surprised. His role required a wide range of diversity--from a blockheaded NBA superstar to an intellectual bestselling author--and Fraser not only pulls it off, he's incredibly funny in the process. He helps make BEDAZZLED absolutely bedazzling. . .along with Hurley's legs.
--D. Mikels

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, could've been better
Review: Brendan Fraser has already proven that he is adept at comedies. Usually playing dorks, stupid people, or just totally naive individuals. His comic talent, here, is put to good use, somewhat, before it goes into overdrive. Fraser plays Elliot Richards, a dorky San Francisco computer employee whose overbearing tactics to be friends with his co-workers backfires as usual. With them ditching and dissing him. He retreats to a bar where he once again sees Allison (Frances O'Connor), the object of his dreams and a fellow co-worker. After an unsuccessful attempt to talk to her. Elliot runs into the most unlikely of people, The Devil (Elizabeth Hurley), a gorgeous femme fatale with a sensitive side, and an impressive wardrobe to boot. The Devil grants Elliot seven wishes of which he becomes some truly odd characters with Allison and his co-workers in every one of his wishes in different forms and attitudes. "Bedazzled" is a relatively decent film. If you're looking for a flick about Shakespeare, then keep on trucking. Fraser is funny as sad sack Elliot but he plays off the dorky side a bit much. Hurley is once again a babe as the manipulative Beezlebub. Fraser is amusing as each wish he has, there is always an unexpected twist for him. The only problems with the film is kind of an abrupt ending and some of the wishes tend to draw on one subject too long before Elliot gets booted out. The real charmer, however, is Fraser as a Columbian drug dealer.

Rating:
Summary: Not Another ... Brendan Fraser Comedy
Review: This film is a lot better than Fraser's previous work: Dudley Do-Right, Blast from the Past, and Monkeybone. As I watched those past comedic monsters, I felt a little sorry for Fraser. It wasn't his fault those movies suffered, and yet he often got the bad rap for their failures. Bedazzled gives Fraser good direction (courtesy of Ramis), a decent screenplay (by Ramis, Peter Tolan, and Larry Gelbhart), and talented co-stars (you won't see Alicia Silverstone on the cast list) to work off of, and Fraser is at the top of his game, proving to be a real comedic talent.

Bedazzled follows the overused but always appealing movie premise of man who sells his soul to the devil. In this film, the man is Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser) an irritating, unpopular office worker who won't stop trying to make friends with his annoyed co-workers (Toby Huss, Miriam Shor, Paul Adelstein, and Orlando Jones) until they are forced to flat-out reject him. To make Elliot's situation even more pathetic, the object of his nerdy passions, Alison (Frances O'Connor) isn't interested in him at all. As Alison politely brushes him off in a bar, he mutters under his breath "Man, I'd do anything to have that girl in my life." Poof The Devil (Elizabeth Hurley) appears and promises to grant Elliot seven wishes if he sells his soul. He agrees and the fun begins as we watch each of Elliot's wishes, centered around his desire for Alison, become sabotaged by the Devil. For instance, wishing to be rich, powerful, and married to Alison, Elliot is turned into a Colombian drug lord, and his wife, a Latin version of Alison, is cheating on him. His second wish to be the world's most sensitive man turns out to be a disaster as a blonde Alison finds his undying devotion boring.

I got a kick out of watching these very gifted comedic actors transform their personalities and their physical appearances as they go from wish to wish. Fraser, O'Connor, and the co-workers each play six different characters, while Elizabeth Hurley has to endure countless costume and hair changes as many as five times during a single scene.

Fraser, Adelstein, Jones, and especially Toby Huss are hilarious (his mumbling sportscaster and token gay guy are the highlights of the film) Ramis competently directs; Elizabeth Hurley shows off impressive range (if she chose more dramatic roles, I think she would surpise a lot of people) and O'Connor is an engaging love interest. What this adds uip to is a thoroughly watchable and occasionally very clever movie.

Rating:
Summary: Follow the skimpy outfits.
Review: This movie is great entertainment for a day when you have nothing else to do. The Devil (Elizabeth Hurley) offers the office geek (Brendan Fraser) a handful of wishes that turn the poor guys world upside down in exchange for his soul. Fraser is chasing after a girl named Allison and uses his wishes to make her like him, but none of them work out since the Devil always had to twist them around and stick a wrench in the works. In the end, he figures out that you don't need to be rich and powerful to get a woman's attention and one simple wish breaks his contract with the Devil. A good movie, but the plot is a little overdone.

Rating:
Summary: "I am the Devil."
Review: 3.5 stars. For all the heterosexual males out there, Elizabeth Hurley looks absolutely scrumptious in this movie. But the great thing is... she knows it! She dresses up and flirts in nearly every stereo-typical male fantasy ever conceived. Now for the other reasons to watch this movie: Brendan Fraser and Frances O'Connor. They both play many different characters during the course of the film adding some much needed spice. The first time I saw this I was impressed with Brendan Fraser, again. See him in the drama "School Ties" for a well-rounded appreciation of his skills. He can play any character, comic or otherwise. Brendan Fraser carries this film almost exclusviely, with a variety of characters propelling the otherwise average script. I did say "almost." Frances O'Connor is much more subtle in her character development (a coy glance here, a smooth gesture there) so much so that it nearly goes unnoticed. Both of their performances are good examples of solid comic acting. The actual filmmaking is a bit cheesy, but only in a low-budget sense of fun. I enjoyed the film overall, even if it isn't the greatest ever made. Later.

Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed it
Review: Selling your soul to the devil has been a theme in a couple of moives. This modern tale of it isn't that bad and is actually pretty good thanks to smart writing, a great director, and good casting.

Elliot Richards(Fraser) is the love desperate nerd that everybody hates. He is to nice and gets annoyinig from the simple fact that he trys to hard. He has the hots for a woman at work Allison(O'Connor) who barely even knows he's there. He wants her desperately so he says to God he'd do almost anything for her. The next thing you know The Devil(Hurley) is there offering Elliot a chance to get Allison.

The deal is simple. Elliot will get the Devil his soul in exchange for seven wishes. Elliot is reluctant at first to the proposition but after some clever temptations by the devil he buckles in and says yes to her. The next thing you know he is making wishes and the devil is fulfilling them with some nasty and quite devilish tricks. Now Elliot must decide if this is really the path he wants to take and if these wishes are all that they are cracked up to be.

Brendan Fraser is good in this movie. This guys movies are usually hit or miss and this one is a hit. I don't like it as much as say the Mummy series or Blast from the Past, but this is a good movie. Fraser is fantastic when he acts out the wishes. He's so funny when he's the Colombian drug lord speaking his Spanish. He's great in the movie and you can tell he really had some fun making this movie.

Elizabeth Hurley is breath taking in the film. This is one of the most gorgeous and flawless woman in the world and in ways she carries this movie. She is very tempting and I like how they casted her as the devil instead of some sweet talking con artist man. She's so hot in the film and she's just awesome. If you like Elizabeth Hurley you have to go and watch this film.

Harold Ramis has given himself another good film. This guy is a clever writer and it shows in the film. The movie was also clever in the way that he includes all of Elliots co-wokers from the beginning of the film in the wishes. He's a smart director and really is underrated in the business. He needs to make more movies because most of the ones he's made are great.

Bedazzled is a good movie and it's easy to find cheap. If your looking for a good pop corn movie this one is it. It has a good moral ending that I don't think will offend anybody. Go see Bedazzled and be prepared for a devilish good time.

Rating:
Summary: Take me now, Elizabeth...
Review: If the makers of this movie seriously thought that Liz Hurley's off-the-scale sexuality could carry an entire movie, they were right.

However, given the quality of the cast, led by the always superb Brendan Fraser, with the gorgeous, classy Frances O'Connor as a perfectly cast love interest, and the masterful direction of Harold Ramis, the movie carries itself.

This is an inspired re-make of the amazing original Pete and Dud movie, which featured sixties/seventies goddess (she still is) Racquel Welch. Having a divine creature like Elizabeth Hurley playing the Devil, especially utilizing a fantasy temptress wardrobe to die for, was a stroke of genius. Liz as a schoolmarm, a nurse, a cheerleader... I can't go on...

The extra features are excellent from the Commentaries (including Liz H.) to the absolutely invaluable Making Of feature, hosted by La Hurley, which suggests that her considerable sex appeal - a huge part of which is her wicked sense of humor - is just a natural function of who she is, rather than something she has to work at projecting, like Britney Spears.

A message to the movie? Yes, pretty much the same as in the original - that happiness cannot come from external trappings. That you have to find your Truth within you, and if you can learn to love yourself, you will automatically be more loveable and more interesting to others, without having to seduce them with money and power. A valid message, which bears endless repetition.

You see? I just showed my sensitive, creative, spiritually aware side... and I got through the whole review without mentioning the impossibly beautiful Elizabeth Hurley's billion dollar legs.... Aaaaargh... CUT