When Bruce Almighty hit box office gold back in 2003 Jim Carrey was the biggest comedy star in the world, while Steve Carell was still plying his trade on dismal American sitcoms.
Skip forward four years and, after a succession of hits including The 40 Year Old Virgin, The Office and Little Miss Sunshine, Carell is the hottest property on the block, while Carey’s only film in two years has been the atrocious Number 23.
In view of his elevated status, Carell has been given lead duties here (he made a brief but memorable appearance as Carrey’s rival TV newsman in the original) playing Evan Baxter, a newly elected US congressman on a mission “to change the world”.
But on the first day of his new job odd things start happening, and his new dream existence in the pristine hills of North Virginia soon becomes a nightmare. From mysterious deliveries of ancient tools and large parcels of wood to curious sightings of animals walking two by two, Evan is certain he’s losing it.
Enter a tall stranger (Freeman) claiming to be God who has one simple command: Build an ark to prepare for a mighty flood.
They say:
BBC: “Carell exudes enough of a warm glow to make this updated Noah's Ark story an enjoyable outing for all the family.”
Total Film: “Often mainlining its message at the expense of laughs, this is unassuming fare that just about holds the line between floating and sinking.”
Channel 4: “This divine comedy may not be as miraculous as planned but it's an innocuously entertaining family picture with a star turn from Carell.”
We say:
After the recent diluvian disasters across the UK, building a modern day Noah’s Ark might not be such a bad idea and it would certainly be less of a waste of time than watching this soggy offering.
Costing $175 million to make (despite jettisoning Carrey and Jennifer Aniston) Evan Almighty relies on a tidal wave of unremarkable CGI to keep the audience awake amid an embarrassing deluge of slapstick buffoonery.
While the environmental undertones carry an important message for the young audience (the original’s 12A certificate has been downgraded to pull in the punters) and Carell just about manages to surf above the sewage, there is little to recommend to your average Mansizer.
Admittedly, there are a couple of amusing sight gags (check out the cinema board that offers “The 40 Year Old Virgin Mary”, or God’s “Ark Building for Dummies” handbook) and one terrific Jaws in joke, but most of the humour involves bird faeces and Homer Simpson style incompetence such as Carell smacking his thumb with a hammer and falling off a roof.
And the less said about the God awful final credits sequence - the entire cast start jiving to “Everybody Dance Now” – the better.
CAST
Steve Carell
Morgan Freeman
Lauren Graham
John Goodman
John Michael Higgins
Jimmy Bennett
Wanda Curtis
Molly Shannon
DIRECTOR
Tom Shadyac
TIME
95 mins
POSTED...
Sun 5 Aug 2007 at 10:10am
