Evan Almighty Review
Bruce did it better
The waters might have run deep as the flood came, but "Evan Almighty" is a shallow as movies get. Even for a family film.
The summer blockbuster tells the story of Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), a newly elected New York congressman who moves with his wife and three sons to Washington to start a new career and happy life with the idea of changing the world while in office. Soon after his arrival he receives an unexpected visit from God (Morgan Freeman), who will put his motto to a task by putting him in charge of becoming a new age Noah and building an ark for an upcoming flood. The story is supposed to develop as Evan struggles to follow God’s request while trying to keep his job in congress, yet it never does. Instead, the difficulty is kept shallow, putting the effort to keep a family united, the lesson to be learned about living life instead of working constantly, and the true meaning of happiness as a simple addition to the focusing point of the actual building of the ark.
As with any sequel, "Evan Almighty’s" script is much poorer than "Bruce Almighty’s" relying on predictable one liners and physical comedy for laughs throughout. Steve Carell might as well have been playing his character from the office. Or "The 40 year-old virgin," as a matter of fact, as his acting is completely unaltered from any of his other roles.
When watching "Evan Almighty" viewers will get a sense of déjà vu. Not because of the storyline based on the infinitely retold biblical tale, but because it takes the simple Hollywood formula for a family film and adds absolutely nothing to it. Animals, plain humor and a little bit of action are sufficient to make children interested yet will torture the parents who take them to the theater.
With simple jokes, ordinary dialog and acting that leaves much to be desired, "Evan Almighty" is a less sophisticated, not-so-funny version of "Bruce Almighty," perfect for those easily amused, entertained and looking to keep their kids looking at a screen for an hour and a half.
Written by: Natalia Galbetti
Reviewers Rating: 2.5
Reader's Rating: 5.67
Reader's Votes: 3
Added: 9-Jul-2007
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