'Evan Almighty' review

Rating: *1/2 out of ****

I’ve always heard about the supposed ‘rules’ of comedy, of which there are many. Rules such as ‘timing is everything’, or ‘always leave them wanting more’. I’m not sure if those are concrete rules, or more guidelines. One rule I know for sure though and that is ‘it must be funny’! Unfortunately, this is a simple rule that ‘Evan Almighty’ cannot follow.

‘Evan Almighty’ is the sequel to the 2003 hit ‘Bruce Almighty’ that starred Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston. Neither of them has chosen to come back for the sequel and instead have been replaced by Steve Carell and Lauren Graham. Carell revives his performance from the first ‘Almighty’ film as Evan Baxter; a former news anchor turned US Congressman. Evan moves his family from Buffalo to Washington to begin his new career. One day he has an encounter with God himself (once again played by Morgan Freeman). God tells Evan that he must build an arc before the city is wiped out by a massive flood. From here on, Evan grows a long beard, wears a robe and sets out to build his arc. Of course, everyone in Evan’s life thinks he’s crazy, including his wife (Graham) and his children. That is, until the inevitable miracle happens that shows he is really doing God’s work.

‘Evan Almighty’ could have worked, but it runs into simple yet massive problems along the way. For starters, Evan is a nice person right from the get-go. In ‘Bruce Almighty’, Bruce resented and blamed God for his misfortunes. In the end, he goes from bitter to nice and sees how to correct his own problems with the messages he’s taken from caring for the world as their God. Evan does not resent God and has no real problems (except his family misses home) and so there is nowhere for this character to go. He has no arc to speak of, excuse the pun. God chose Bruce because he wanted Bruce to see the truth and change because of it. But what is Evan’s truth? I found myself constantly wondering why Evan was chosen, and the film’s paper-thin moral explanation wasn’t enough for me. Surely, there could have been people better fitted to build this arc – morally and logistically speaking. You’re telling me there isn’t a single carpenter in the world going through a crisis of faith?

It is a short film with a running time of 95 minutes. However, it features more 80’s-style ‘fixing stuff up’ montages than a John Hughes film festival. As well, the climax with the flood felt more at home in the opening scenes of ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ and was simply not funny as we see the streets of Washington go underwater. In fact, instead of laughing I found myself wondering about all those who drowned in the flood. The last thing a comedy should have you thinking about is dead people, unless it’s a Tim Burton comedy.

Steve Carell is one of the best comedic actors working today and I foresee him having a great career in the tradition of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey. He shines in A-material such as ‘The Office’ or ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin’ and even sparks in supporting roles as in ‘Anchorman’. Here, he does his best with what’s given, though it feels as if he’s phoning it in; mugging to the camera all too often with a dance that may entertain five year olds. So much talent is wasted here, from Morgan Freeman’s God, to John Goodman, Wanda Sykes, Harve Presnell and John Michael Higgins (who was hilarious in Christopher Guest’s ‘For Your Consideration’). In fact, the character I laughed at the most was that of Eugene, the office suck-up whom borderlines stalker. He’s played by the wonderful Jonah Hill who is quickly climbing the Hollywood comedy ladder, appearing in such hits as ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin’, ‘Accepted’, ‘Knocked Up’, and this summer’s ‘Superbad’.

‘Evan Almighty’ isn’t an ill-intentioned film. I certainly have seen worse movies and worse comedies (‘Evan Almighty’ is an Oscar winner compared to most Rob Schneider films). It simply isn’t funny. You can feel the good intentions all over the place, from the writing, to the performances, to the special effects. It just seems to take steps down the wrong path at every turn. I’ve read that ‘Evan Almighty’ is now the most expensive comedy ever made. It’s ironic that this movie has hit such a landmark record, but will surely be forgotten soon after its opening weekend.