I liked this movie a lot, though I could understand how some wouldn't get a lot of the jokes as they are references or homages to things that happened in the original series, some very obscure. I've probably seen every episode about 4 times if not more, as well as shows about the actors, and have just looked up trivia on the internet from it over the years. I still think it would be a funny movie, but only about half as funny, if you didn't know a lot about the show. One part I liked a lot, and a good example, is when Uncle Arthur materializes. First I never thought anyone could play a Paul Lynde character, but Steve Carrell pulls it off nicely, giving me more hope for his portrayal of Don Adams' Maxwell Smart in the upcoming Get Smart movie. But when Uncle Arthur wants to drive Jack somewhere, Jack remembers an episode where he wasn't a good driver and brings up the fact that he can't drive well. Uncle Arthur says "that wasn't really me, I'm a good driver!". This is because earlier off on the show, before they had a character named Uncle Arthur, Paul Lynde guest starred as a driving instructor with anxiety problems. It really wasn't Uncle Arthur, it was another Pual Lynde character from the show. I doubt most people are gonna get the jokes of this level at all, but as a fan I'm glad they made them. It definitely seems well researched. It isn't a remake of the show though, so if the casting is a little off, it doesn't bother me. I don't however understand why Isabel (Nicole Kidman) has a real Aunt Clara that screws up spells and collects doorknobs (you see her bag of doorknobs briefly), just like the show's Aunt Clara, when Uncle Arthur is required to be a fictional character that has materialized briefly. Isabel wasn't allowed to watch Bewitched as a child because of how it portrayed witches, but after things like this I was expecting her to find out it was based on her actual family or something. Though this was never a deal breaker, I really liked the movie, and Will Ferrel was hilarious as usual.
