At the time of this movie, Steve Carrell was on the brink of becoming the new face of comedy after the success of the 2005 comedy classic "The 40-Year Old Virgin". Complete with a nice blend of immaculate features that include a bright smile, deadpan humour and natural flowing charisma here's a man that has gone on to become one of the more highly prolific stars of situation comedy.
And then came "Evan Almighty" to set him back a few steps. It seems like at the time Carrell was going a simiar path to other comedic performers who get tired of being in the comfort zones that they are accustomed to only to try out films they are not very comfortable with. Carrell seems like the rightful person to play comedic roles, but now he wants to take himself out of the comfort zone in raunchy comedies and to star in more light-fare kiddie stuff. He's almost becoming the modern day Eddie Murphy and that's not necessarily a good thing. As a sequel to the very successful 2003 movie "Bruce Almighty", director Tom Shadyac God (Morgan Freeman) gives Bruce powers that are exclusive. Carrell was a supporting charcter in the first of the "Almighty" series as an arrogant news reporter who everyone loved to hate. In the sequel where he is now the star here, Evan Baxter has softened up and has become more sympathetic is leaving the newsroom is now entering the world of politics where he running for Congress. He and his family which include three sons, Dylan, Jordan and Ryan (Johnny Simmons, Graham Phillips and Jimmy Bennett) and his wife Joan (played with little enthusiasm by Lauren Graham) leave their cozy lives in Buffalo, New York and are living in an elegant home in the suburbs of Virginia. From the early stages of the movie, we can see the reluctance his family has with the long move. One night as Evan and Joan have some quiet time together, one of their sons ask if they could all pray together as composer John Debney's score soars in the background with ambient music playing giving us that less than subtle indication that this film is aimed towards the Christian community.
As I started to roll my eyes in disbelief knowing where this is coming from, I still found it in me to sit through it wondering where it will all go from here. So Evan gets a call from God (Morgan Freeman reprising his role as God) send Evan on a mission while playing with his mind during the whole movie for good measure as he wants him to build an ark because he tells him of a great flood is going to strike on September 22 (mark that on your calendars folks, you've been warned). Freeman seems to be enjoying himself playing the Almighty God and has a wide variety of costumes he wears quite frequently. This mission was to make Evan a busy man for the next couple of months and to change from his selfish ways to becoming a better person. I guess there's not going to be any relaxing weekends for the next couple of months.
For those who think that this message is some kind of a Christian passage about embracing the world that's surrounding you and finding God as your guiding light to eternal happiness, well "Evan Almighty" is not as holy as one might think. It's more of a poor effort at slapstick comedy complete with lots of bird poop. The plot is mundane and the ideas are contrived and banal. Steve Oedekerk who also wrote "Bruce Almighty" must have ran out of ideas when writing this sequel or just didn't put enough heart into it. Whatever the case, this movie is actually quite pitiful. Sure some of the ideas are visually hilarious like animals in pairs become very attached to Evan (obviously an act from God). There was a very memorable moment where Evan was at an important meeting with corrupt Congressman Chuck Long (John Goodman) and that Long had a large aquarium and that the fish were also zooming in on Evan. Wow! Even the aquatic animals have their focus primarily at Evan as they stare from the tank with their enlarged fish eyes.
It seems funny at first, but then the situation tends to repeat itself until it becomes tedious and repetitive to the point where you start asking yourself when will this angle end. I was hoping that the animals would have some dimension of comedy like from "Dr. Dolittle", unfortunately, they're just CGI images that just materialize as props accustomed to the spoon-fed narrative. The only time they seem to come alive is when the birds start dropping massive splatters from their behinds making things very messy and disgusting.
Evan at first had no profound interest in building the ark, but as time passed on he started growing facial hairs that he tried to shave, but just kept coming back rather quickly. He goes from wearing fancy business suits to wearing Biblical themed robes. Next thing you know, Evan becomes God's chosen saviour, but it feels more like he has become a puppet to God, forced into it rather than getting another person to his bidding. Carrell offers very little to this comedy except make dumb expressions and try to conceal anything that might potentially embarrass others or himself. He and his family are mocked constantly at this absurd notion of him building an ark and the expectency of a flood happening in a matter of months on a specific date. Plus also using archaic old tools used in Biblical times. One of Carrell's traits that make an extraordinary performer is that he can deliver that manic intensity in him like a ticking time bomb he can explode at any second. He can play that nice guy who's patience are tested and seems to have that look of the unhinged in his mindset. Here he just look too submissive and very compliant. It's almost as if he has fear of saying no to God fearing what will happen to him if he refuses to acquiesce. By the time we reach the end, Evan has now fully tranformed into a full-blown Noah character complete with a burlap robe, a white flowing beard and hair as he embraces everyone with his love that never once looks authentic but ridiculous and superficial. "Evan Almighty" is made to be a light fare family movie with the message of follow God's order of foing good for others and that's fine. I just think it's time for Carell to move forward and go another direction in his career.
And then came "Evan Almighty" to set him back a few steps. It seems like at the time Carrell was going a simiar path to other comedic performers who get tired of being in the comfort zones that they are accustomed to only to try out films they are not very comfortable with. Carrell seems like the rightful person to play comedic roles, but now he wants to take himself out of the comfort zone in raunchy comedies and to star in more light-fare kiddie stuff. He's almost becoming the modern day Eddie Murphy and that's not necessarily a good thing. As a sequel to the very successful 2003 movie "Bruce Almighty", director Tom Shadyac God (Morgan Freeman) gives Bruce powers that are exclusive. Carrell was a supporting charcter in the first of the "Almighty" series as an arrogant news reporter who everyone loved to hate. In the sequel where he is now the star here, Evan Baxter has softened up and has become more sympathetic is leaving the newsroom is now entering the world of politics where he running for Congress. He and his family which include three sons, Dylan, Jordan and Ryan (Johnny Simmons, Graham Phillips and Jimmy Bennett) and his wife Joan (played with little enthusiasm by Lauren Graham) leave their cozy lives in Buffalo, New York and are living in an elegant home in the suburbs of Virginia. From the early stages of the movie, we can see the reluctance his family has with the long move. One night as Evan and Joan have some quiet time together, one of their sons ask if they could all pray together as composer John Debney's score soars in the background with ambient music playing giving us that less than subtle indication that this film is aimed towards the Christian community.
As I started to roll my eyes in disbelief knowing where this is coming from, I still found it in me to sit through it wondering where it will all go from here. So Evan gets a call from God (Morgan Freeman reprising his role as God) send Evan on a mission while playing with his mind during the whole movie for good measure as he wants him to build an ark because he tells him of a great flood is going to strike on September 22 (mark that on your calendars folks, you've been warned). Freeman seems to be enjoying himself playing the Almighty God and has a wide variety of costumes he wears quite frequently. This mission was to make Evan a busy man for the next couple of months and to change from his selfish ways to becoming a better person. I guess there's not going to be any relaxing weekends for the next couple of months.
For those who think that this message is some kind of a Christian passage about embracing the world that's surrounding you and finding God as your guiding light to eternal happiness, well "Evan Almighty" is not as holy as one might think. It's more of a poor effort at slapstick comedy complete with lots of bird poop. The plot is mundane and the ideas are contrived and banal. Steve Oedekerk who also wrote "Bruce Almighty" must have ran out of ideas when writing this sequel or just didn't put enough heart into it. Whatever the case, this movie is actually quite pitiful. Sure some of the ideas are visually hilarious like animals in pairs become very attached to Evan (obviously an act from God). There was a very memorable moment where Evan was at an important meeting with corrupt Congressman Chuck Long (John Goodman) and that Long had a large aquarium and that the fish were also zooming in on Evan. Wow! Even the aquatic animals have their focus primarily at Evan as they stare from the tank with their enlarged fish eyes.
It seems funny at first, but then the situation tends to repeat itself until it becomes tedious and repetitive to the point where you start asking yourself when will this angle end. I was hoping that the animals would have some dimension of comedy like from "Dr. Dolittle", unfortunately, they're just CGI images that just materialize as props accustomed to the spoon-fed narrative. The only time they seem to come alive is when the birds start dropping massive splatters from their behinds making things very messy and disgusting.
Evan at first had no profound interest in building the ark, but as time passed on he started growing facial hairs that he tried to shave, but just kept coming back rather quickly. He goes from wearing fancy business suits to wearing Biblical themed robes. Next thing you know, Evan becomes God's chosen saviour, but it feels more like he has become a puppet to God, forced into it rather than getting another person to his bidding. Carrell offers very little to this comedy except make dumb expressions and try to conceal anything that might potentially embarrass others or himself. He and his family are mocked constantly at this absurd notion of him building an ark and the expectency of a flood happening in a matter of months on a specific date. Plus also using archaic old tools used in Biblical times. One of Carrell's traits that make an extraordinary performer is that he can deliver that manic intensity in him like a ticking time bomb he can explode at any second. He can play that nice guy who's patience are tested and seems to have that look of the unhinged in his mindset. Here he just look too submissive and very compliant. It's almost as if he has fear of saying no to God fearing what will happen to him if he refuses to acquiesce. By the time we reach the end, Evan has now fully tranformed into a full-blown Noah character complete with a burlap robe, a white flowing beard and hair as he embraces everyone with his love that never once looks authentic but ridiculous and superficial. "Evan Almighty" is made to be a light fare family movie with the message of follow God's order of foing good for others and that's fine. I just think it's time for Carell to move forward and go another direction in his career.