So I watched both versions of the Stepford Wives back to back. And, of course the original is better but not for obvious reasons. Basically the newer version is a wannabe Tim Burton movie that fails on all levels.So yeah, by my introduction you can tell I wasn't a fan. At least the girls are pretty to look at, as ironic as that happens to be considered the fact this film should have more substance because it covers heavy topics like gender equality, domestic slavery and what not. The film falls flat because it has zero depth. It is also annoying in how it tries to make both men and women happy. But the biggest sin of all is that it is an unfunny comedy.

Sometimes, while watching a film that has great potential, it is difficult to understand or believe some of the inexplicable choices that film-makers decide upon. In "The Stepford Wives", a great kernel of a story is turned into almost a complete and utter farce that could have been oh so much better.For a basic plot summary, "Stepford Wives" tells the story of Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman), an extremely driven career women who suffers a nervous breakdown. Husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) decides to move her and the family to the gated community of Stepford, managed by Mike Wellington (Christopher Walken). In Stepford, however, Joanna and newfound friend Bobbie (Bette Midler) try to unravel the mystery behind the "always-smiling, just-a-little-too-perfect" Stepford wives and their odd husbands.I would give a spoiler alert here (and it still stands if you know absolute nothing about this movie), but the trailers and film itself do a pretty good job ruining that department. To be blunt, it is so obvious that the Stepford wives are robots (based on a few incredibly stupid scenes and some really bad special effects) that it pretty much kills the ending. It's almost like director Frank Oz was trying to mock the original film instead of crafting the taut masterpiece that could have been.And that truly is what is so sad about "The Stepford Wives". The social concepts behind the film are very, very interesting for both men and women to think about, but this effort makes a mockery for them. It plays serious issues for sight gags and farcical humor. Heck, a movie like this would have worked better even as horror or suspense, but the comedy sinks it like an anchor.Basically, the only reason I can give the movie even two stars is because that "kernel of story" is interesting. My exact rating would be about 1.5 stars, because I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that "screwed it up" this bad in the story-interpretation department.

This is my old review: The Stepford Wives (2004) was a surprise to me, the trailer really did intrigue me, but the actual movie was laughable. I was a big fan of almost every cast member, including Glenn Close, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, and of course Bette Midler. The cast member's performances were pretty good, not Oscar worthy by any means, but still pretty good fit the kind of movie it was. Some scenes were funny, including the scene with the wive's book club. Let me just say that for me personally, Bette Midler was the best part of this entire movie, by far. The script was kinda lackluster and poor, and some of the jokes were just bad, and didn't work. I would've liked a little less comedy and a little more seriousness. The look of the film was good, the shots and costume design and sets all looked very good. Overall, the movie was just a little too silly for my personal taste. So would I recommend The Stepford Wives (2004)? No. It's not worth your time, there are much better movies out there to enjoy. After re watching it: I liked a lot of the jokes better, the comedy works, I found myself laughing so much the 2nd time I watched it. It was a lot more entertaining this time, and I had fun watching it, it's a comedic, cute, interesting film. My NEW rating: 7/10

SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT*** I was so looking forward to the new version of "Stepford Wives". Since the original was made in 1975, I was looking forward to not only today's special effects, but how much scarier it would be. Sadly, the filmmakers decided to turn it into a comedy. HUGE mistake with many repercussions.EXAMPLE: 1975 Version: The scene ends with Joanna confronting the men's club and learning the truth: that all wives have been killed and replaced with clone robots. The next and final scene shows Joanna, as a robot, pushing a cart in the local grocery, greeting the other wives, also pushing carts.2004 Version. The scene ends with Joanna (donning short, dark hair) confronting the men's club and the viewer thinks she is learning the truth. Instead of cutting to the original final scene, the filmmakers added a scene. Glenn Close's character, Claire, is throwing a ball. Everyone is decked out in gowns and tuxedos. Joanna (Nicole Kidman) now has very long, strawberry blonde hair and is talking and acting like a robot.This is one of many examples where the film becomes unhinged. Joanna sneaks into the computer room and corrupts the entire computer system (how? she is not a computer programmer?). We then see all the wives suddenly grasp their foreheads, to demonstrate awful headaches and returning to their normal selves! Since one wife was able to accept a debit card and dispense money with her mouth, how is it possible that she is not totally a robot? The filmmakers think we are stupid.In addition, if they wanted us to believe Joanna was faking being a robot, why didn't they leave her short, dark hairdo alone? Instead of having Nicole Kidman wear a long wig, she has her own natural hairdo. This would've been okay, if they had styled it like a wig. I do not know of any wig company that offers a combed-back hairline style, do you?When we return to the ballroom, the scene ends with Mike (Christopher Walken) having his head knocked off, revealing a computerized interior. So Mike is a robot. Claire (Glenn Close) reveals to all present that she killed Mike after finding him in bed with his new, much younger work assistant. If this is true, then why weren't the wives, in the new Stepford community which she founded, killed off as well?Many great actors thrusts into a lackluster film. Just plain sad.