Did you know that the movie Bedazzled (2000) starring Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser was based on a 1967 film?

The more recent movie Bedazzled is a lightweight, easygoing, mildly entertaining comedy, but it's a mere shadow of the 1967 film of the same name that starred Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. Both films revolve around a nerdy guy selling his soul to the Devil in exchange for a handful of wishes, and both films share more than a few similarities in plot and some dialogue. Peter Cook is even credited in Bedazzled (2000) for his 1967 film story. Yet, the surprising thing is how different the two movies are.

The original Bedazzled has become available again on DVD, and watching it I found the humor in the old version to be much zanier and more biting than in the remake. Bedazzled (2000) isn't really a bad movie, but it plays everything too safe and tries too hard to please. The result is a slick film that seems pleasant enough while you're watching it, but which starts to fade from memory almost as soon as the final credits begin to roll.

The current version of Bedazzled is okay as a way to while away a couple of hours if you have nothing better to do. However, if you want to be dazzled by a memorable comedy, see the quirky 1967 version. Of course, the original doesn't have Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil looking drop-dead gorgeous in a red cocktail dress. But the way Dudley Moore and Peter Cook spark off of each other's perfect comic timing more than makes up for this. In spite of being older, Bedazzled (1967) simply seems fresher and just more devilishly funny.

~ Ivana Redwine