B-
Christopher Walken’s character in “The Stepford Wives” says in apromotional film for Stepford, “imagine if you could streamlineyour spouse.” With this remake, Director Frank Oz seems to suggest”imagine if you could streamline the original” as he attempts tocut out the excess horror of the 1975 version of “The StepfordWives,” to create a satirical jab at suburbia.
Today’s town of Stepford is a land of of SUVs, sprawlingmansions, CEO wives and their vice president, Mr. Mom — fed-uphusbands who decided to strike back. The outlandish plot makesHarry Potter seem realistic but, strangely enough, it works. Agroup of defeated males turning their wives into robots might notscare audiences, but it will leave them laughing.
The remake is filled with gags about wimpy men, Martha Stewartstyle homemakers and the Manhattanite women who now dominatesociety. The film dares to ask what would happen if the men ofAmerica decided to do away with their “Sex and the City” wives.
The ensemble cast excels individually at channeling thestereotypical comedy of their character. Nicole Kidman is awashed-up TV executive, who produces man-hating reality television.Matthew Broderick is the nerdy husband forced to work under hisdomineering wife. Bette Midler is a brassy Jewish New York author.Glenn Close is a Martha Stewart-style matriarch of perfection.Christoper Walken is, as usual, a creepy figure who serves aspatriarch of the fictional town.
Each star does a great job of delivering smart one-liners andcomedic jabs, but the cast never seems to gel. Each character veersoff into their own direction of comedy, but despite their lack ofcontinuity, still manage to solicit a few laughs.
“Stepford” attempts to be suspenseful but fails to elicit anyreal terror. Melodramatic music and easily predictable plot linesleave audiences laughing rather than frightened.
“Stepford” tries to be satirical, but the movie fails to makeany real comments on the lifestyles of the characters who retreatto Stepford. The film wants to make comments on career women andthe lack of genuine homemakers in the world, but instead the moviedecides to just make a few light-hearted comedic jabs at theexpense of both. “Stepford” even throws its two cents on gaymarriage, as a gay couple moves to town. But the movie merely playsinto the usual stereotypical gay jokes.
But “Stepford” is funny. The movie provides plenty of laughs atthe expense of just about everyone — homemakers, career women, andgay and straight men.
“Stepford” does succeed in pulling a bleak horror flick intolight campy romp through the battle of the sexes, leaving neithergender feeling inadequate.