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Reviews
Bewitched (2005)
Too much Will Ferrell
This film actually does what it makes clear is a bad thing for its show within a show (a Bewitched remake) to do. It puts most of the focus on the Will Ferrell character and almost makes Nicole Kidman's Isabel a supporting player. It ended up being "How do we get Will Ferrell's antics into the story?" rather than focusing on the young witch who wants to try being a mortal. I actually think the plot would have been better served if they hadn't bothered with the meta-story about making a tv show remake of the original, and instead just did an actual remake of the original. I think audiences would have been much more receptive to a 2000s updating of the 1960s classic. Typical family life being constantly interrupted by Samantha's zany witch relatives.
Honolulu (1939)
Robert Young dominates the film
This film was a lot more entertaining than I was expecting it to be. That's mostly due to the wonderful performance of Robert Young in a dual role. Eleanor Powell is serviced very well with her dance numbers, but other than that, her screen time seems to be a bit on the lean side. Always fun to see George and Gracie in a film. From the perspective of the 21st century, Powell's blackface Bill Robinson dance , Eddie Anderson's butler character and the characterization of Wong, the Chinese butler, were more than a little uncomfortable. Without those issues, the film would have been rated higher.
Living in a Big Way (1947)
Some nice Kelly dance moments, but ...
Gene Kelly's dancing and some fun performances from the supporting cast are the only things that save this film from being a total disaster. Gene Kelly and Marie McDonald have almost zero chemistry together. I blame McDonald's bland acting for that. Kelly had much better chemistry with Phyllis Thaxter, and I found myself rooting for him to forget Margot and marry Peggy. The sad thing is that this is one of those films that could have been a solid hit with a better leading lady and the dazzle of technicolor.