raykeller Review of The Stepford Wives

The Stepford Wives (2004)

Wow ... just wow, can't believe this was soooo bad

[1/10 · 22 July 2018]

I looked forward to seeing this when I heard it was in the works. The cast can't be faulted, they did the best they could with the material. Then the finished product drops. I went in with an open mind and tried to like this version. As it chugged along, I could see the filmmakers leaning more to a slapstick comedy than the white-knuckled horror of the original. We see own of the women dancing crazily around, shooting sparks. Another 'wife' comes in to appease her husband's need for an ATM, and she slides the card into her mouth, processes the transaction, and promptly and literally spits out $20 ("She gives ones!" marvels Walter). But then we took another left turn towards the end when we discover that it's all a plot involving several nanochips inserted into the women's brains that can be shorted, surprisingly easily, to revert them to normal. No explanation as to why we get dancing sparks or full ATM functions or no harm when a character puts her hand into a full-flame stove burner with no pain or damage, if this is only a behavioral chip. The bone-chilling, horrifying secret of the first film becomes a ridiculous triple plot twist again leaning toward a b-movie climax. Wow - if you liked the novel or the first film, you'll definitely want to give this a miss.