Just Say Noah?
Written: Jun 23 '07 (Updated Jun 23 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: funny, in a lighthearted family way, good effects
Cons: not as funny as Bruce Almighty, change of style from irreverence to family comedy
The Bottom Line: This is a family film. The irreverence of Bruce Almighty has been domesticated for audiences in Utah.
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| bilavideo's Full Review: Evan Almighty |
"If you build it, they will come."
--Whispery Voice, Field of Dreams
"In putting on the suit and entering the sleigh,
the wearer waives any and all right to any previous identity,
real or implied, and fully accepts
the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus,
in perpetuity to which some time the wearer becomes
unable to do so, by either accident or design."
--Bernard the Elf, The Santa Clause
Evan Almighty is the sequel to Bruce Almighty, though its plot is more of a cross between The Santa Clause and Field of Dreams. In a plot twist unforeseeable in the first film, TV anchor Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) leaves his job after winning a seat in Congress. It's a disclocation for his wife, Joan (Lauren Graham) and his three sons: Dylan, Jordan and Ryan (Johnny Simmons, Graham Phillips and Jimmy Bennett), all of whom already feel jilted by Evan's workaholic ways.
The plot thickens when Evan, whose campaign motto promises to "change the world," discovers that he's just a freshman, the pawn of Congressman Long (John Goodman) - and takes his wife's advice to pray for God's help. God (Morgan Freeman) shows up and tells him to "build an ark." Like a modern-day Jonah, Evan resists but this is an offer he can't refuse - which he finds out when he starts getting tools and supplies, discovers he has just purchased 9 lots in his not-yet-developed subdivision and begins to grow hair like he's swallowed a bottle of Rogain.
And that's before the animals start showing up, two by two.
Evan Almighty is a comedy that, according to website Rotten Tomatoes, has been panned by 79% of movie critics nationwide. In many cases, that's because critics were expecting a continuation of the style of the first film. But Evan Almighty is not a Jim-Carrie vehicle. It's not about an ordinary guy who gets to play God - and uses these powers to give his girlfriend bigger breasts or look up women's skirts. It's a Steve-Carrel vehicle and its sweeter, family-oriented story puts it in PG-ville, not the outskirts of PG-13.
Some viewers may be put off by the Disneyesque sweetness of Evan Almighty. I, myself, cringed at its sitcom banter in all its demographic-seeking chatter laced with buzzwords, the way a middle-aged man might adopt the lingo of the hood to sound current. This family is so generic, they ought to be 20% off. But somewhere, along the way, if you can keep your seat through the routine plot-point predicates, things "click." The tired old rehash of Oh, God! turns into a "delightful family comedy."
I don't know when it was that I finally put down my skepticism and got with the program, but even I, the grinch of movie reviewers, got swept up. Cast as a modern-day Noah, Evan finds himself forced to put his credibility on the line as he builds an ark, dresses like an extra from The 10 Commandments and stands in the way of party politics. The original script, titled The Passion of the Ark, was written by Robert Florsheim (Man-Witch) and Josh Stolberg (Avatar: The Last Airbender), whose script set in motion a bidding war, back in 2004, that netted them a $4 million deal ($2.5 million plus points). Ironically, as the film went from Sony to Universal, the budget mushroomed to $140 million (making it the most expensive comedy ever) and the script got a makeover from Steve Oedekerk (Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, Bruce Almighty) who, along with Steve Koran and Mark O'Keefe (Garfield) took the film into a more family-oriented direction.
Whether you like this new direction will depend, in large part, on your own outlook. Florsheim and Stolberg, who wrote The Passion of the Ark, have been completely erased from the film's credits with all credit - or blame - going to Oedekerk and company. Much of the inherent irreverence of a project titled "The Passion of the Ark" has been spun into a film about a nice guy who learns the lessons of family and faith. If that leaves you groping for a barf bag, stay away. If, on the other hand, you're one of those people who feels there aren't enough family-friendly PG films, this one has your name on it. I'm pretty sure the video-cutters in Utah, who snip movies so their clients can watch them without having to repent, will have little work here.
Director Tom Shadyac, who shot Bruce Almighty, does an effective job of seamlessly blending the live and the digital to create a comedy that competes, for dazzle, with epics like The 10 Commandments. One sequence, involving an unnatural disaster of Katrina-like proportions, showcases Shadyac's skills. To be candid, this film is not as funny as Bruce Almighty - and the switch of writers leaves a bitter taste in my mouth - but my wife loved this film and I, for better or worse, liked it, too.
And that reminds me of another great line:
"Eat recycled food. Recycled food is good for the environment and okay for you."
--Food Dispenser, Judge Dredd
P.S. Regardless of whether you warm to the taming of this project, one of the film's great additions is Wanda Sykes, who plays Rita, Evan's office assistant. Sykes (Pootie Tang, Over the Hedge) - who chews the scenery with attitude - is becoming as iconic as Christopher Walken. She's an "inspired" choice as her voice fills this film's empty spots with hilarity, and her reactions serve as a joke-capper. Hollywood will not be complete until it has a star with Wanda Sykes' name on it - and if this film helps to pave the way, all power to it.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Family Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: A few glitches, but mostly complete.
Worst Part of this Film: Plot
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Member: Bill Kilpatrick
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