While not a huge fan of the original "Bruce Almighty," the Jim Carrey comedy from 2004, I now look back fondly upon it as a sweet respite; especially in light of its follow-up, "Evan Almighty," starring Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman.
In "Bruce," Evan Baxter (Carell) was the smarmy reporter who was given the news anchor position over Carrey; now he's the popular TV personality who was just elected to congress on a "Let's Change the World" platform. The film does not mention which party he belongs to, but it's probably the GOP.
Evan resigns his lucrative news job and heads to Washington. There, he immediately settles into a huge mansion (I mean HUGE) and jumps into his first day on the Hill. There we meet his staff, chief Marty (John Michael Higgins, "The Break-Up"), executive secretary, Rita (Wanda Sykes) and fat creepy intern, Eugene (Jonah Hill, "Accepted," "Knocked Up").
He is also bamboozled into supporting a colleague's (John Goodman) bill to allow private development in national parks (that's why I assume he's a Republican, since Hollywood naturally believes that party wants to allow private development in national parks ...). With all of this new work, he (like most movie fathers) begins to complete ignore his family.
Meanwhile, he begins to receive bizarre items in the mail, such as a set of archaic hand tools and deliveries of tons of wood and other materials. Finally, the long-awaited appearance of God (Freeman) takes place and Evan is instructed to build an ark.
At first, of course, he scoffs at the idea, but as more and more items are delivered, eight adjacent neighborhood lots are purchased in his name and animals of all kinds begin to follow him, he begins to take things seriously. Also, God performs a few little miracles and Evan grows facial hair slightly faster than a woodland gorilla (or Robin Williams), to get the point across.
Now a bearded, robe-wearing, hippy outcast, Evan loses his family, job and status, yet remains true, even working to finish the project by himself. God convinces him to undertake this seemingly impossible task by tossing about a few platitudes and performing some more miracles.
Purported to be one of the most expensive comedies ever made (estimated between $140-200 million), the word "comedy" is loosely tossed about here. Sure, Carell, who made his film debut in "Bruce," then parlayed that into key roles in "Anchorman," "The 40-Year Old Virgin" and the hit NBC series, "The Office," is funny in spots, but very rarely here.
He's either the selfish, idealistic congressman, or the idiotic, idealistic latter-day Noah with little development of either character. The laughs in this one come from Sykes (who ad-libbed 90 percent of her dialog) and Hill, who knows more about Evan than Evan.
Carell spends most of his time prat-falling while trying to construct the massive boat, or crying in the wilderness with a staff in his hand like a demented Charleton Heston. The only thing missing is his "The End Is Near" sign.
The situation of a politician turning into a crazed Old Testament prophet is certainly ripe for yucks, but director Tom Shadyac ("Bruce Almighty," "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry") chooses the heavy-handed approach, substituting hilarity for a stifling environmental message.
Yeah, we KNOW saving the Earth is good; we KNOW developing in national parks is BAD. In an attempt to create a modern version of "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington," Shadyac spreads the sentiment too thick with a heaping helping of maudlin on the side, then applies it with a sledgehammer.
Much of the budget here was wasted on the animals sequences. Evidently, photos of each beast were taken separately, and then incorporated digitally into the final product. They should have just CGI'ed everything, since that's what the outcome looks like, anyway.
And Sykes and Hill, while very funny in their short screen times, are not enough to bail the onrushing water out of this sinking vessel. Also, what was with the closing credits? Just various actors (as well as other personnel) involved in the movie gyrating to C.C. and the Music Company's "Everybody Dance, Now."
You'll leave the theaters (probably two by two) feeling like a biblical curse has been placed upon you after this flood of nonsense.
Talk about "original sin."
In "Bruce," Evan Baxter (Carell) was the smarmy reporter who was given the news anchor position over Carrey; now he's the popular TV personality who was just elected to congress on a "Let's Change the World" platform. The film does not mention which party he belongs to, but it's probably the GOP.
Evan resigns his lucrative news job and heads to Washington. There, he immediately settles into a huge mansion (I mean HUGE) and jumps into his first day on the Hill. There we meet his staff, chief Marty (John Michael Higgins, "The Break-Up"), executive secretary, Rita (Wanda Sykes) and fat creepy intern, Eugene (Jonah Hill, "Accepted," "Knocked Up").
He is also bamboozled into supporting a colleague's (John Goodman) bill to allow private development in national parks (that's why I assume he's a Republican, since Hollywood naturally believes that party wants to allow private development in national parks ...). With all of this new work, he (like most movie fathers) begins to complete ignore his family.
Meanwhile, he begins to receive bizarre items in the mail, such as a set of archaic hand tools and deliveries of tons of wood and other materials. Finally, the long-awaited appearance of God (Freeman) takes place and Evan is instructed to build an ark.
At first, of course, he scoffs at the idea, but as more and more items are delivered, eight adjacent neighborhood lots are purchased in his name and animals of all kinds begin to follow him, he begins to take things seriously. Also, God performs a few little miracles and Evan grows facial hair slightly faster than a woodland gorilla (or Robin Williams), to get the point across.
Now a bearded, robe-wearing, hippy outcast, Evan loses his family, job and status, yet remains true, even working to finish the project by himself. God convinces him to undertake this seemingly impossible task by tossing about a few platitudes and performing some more miracles.
Purported to be one of the most expensive comedies ever made (estimated between $140-200 million), the word "comedy" is loosely tossed about here. Sure, Carell, who made his film debut in "Bruce," then parlayed that into key roles in "Anchorman," "The 40-Year Old Virgin" and the hit NBC series, "The Office," is funny in spots, but very rarely here.
He's either the selfish, idealistic congressman, or the idiotic, idealistic latter-day Noah with little development of either character. The laughs in this one come from Sykes (who ad-libbed 90 percent of her dialog) and Hill, who knows more about Evan than Evan.
Carell spends most of his time prat-falling while trying to construct the massive boat, or crying in the wilderness with a staff in his hand like a demented Charleton Heston. The only thing missing is his "The End Is Near" sign.
The situation of a politician turning into a crazed Old Testament prophet is certainly ripe for yucks, but director Tom Shadyac ("Bruce Almighty," "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry") chooses the heavy-handed approach, substituting hilarity for a stifling environmental message.
Yeah, we KNOW saving the Earth is good; we KNOW developing in national parks is BAD. In an attempt to create a modern version of "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington," Shadyac spreads the sentiment too thick with a heaping helping of maudlin on the side, then applies it with a sledgehammer.
Much of the budget here was wasted on the animals sequences. Evidently, photos of each beast were taken separately, and then incorporated digitally into the final product. They should have just CGI'ed everything, since that's what the outcome looks like, anyway.
And Sykes and Hill, while very funny in their short screen times, are not enough to bail the onrushing water out of this sinking vessel. Also, what was with the closing credits? Just various actors (as well as other personnel) involved in the movie gyrating to C.C. and the Music Company's "Everybody Dance, Now."
You'll leave the theaters (probably two by two) feeling like a biblical curse has been placed upon you after this flood of nonsense.
Talk about "original sin."