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Jim Carrey got to be all-powerful in 2003’s Bruce Almighty—but poor Steve Carell is totally out of control in the sequel.
In Evan Almighty, New York TV newscaster Evan Baxter (Carell) has decided to move on. The newly-elected congressman is ready to change the world—or at least that’s what his campaign slogan said. On the eve of his first day on the job, he stops to say a quick prayer, realizing that he could use all the help he can get. But when he said that prayer, he figured God would help him take over Congress. He didn’t expect God to tell him to build an ark.
At first, God (Morgan Freeman) appears to Evan and asks politely. He even has the tools and the materials delivered to Evan’s new house. But when Evan refuses, God becomes a little more demanding. First, the animals start showing up—at the most inconvenient times. Then comes the Noah-like beard and long, flowing hair—and the matching robe. Finally, when Evan finds out that the arrangements have been made for him to buy eight neighboring lots—plenty of room for ark-building—he realizes that God’s not kidding. Unfortunately, the rest of Capitol Hill isn’t quite as convinced—nor is Evan’s wife, Joan (Lauren Graham), who decides to pack up their three sons and leave her mentally unstable husband alone with his giant boat.
If you’ve seen the trailers, you might be under the impression that Evan Almighty is a goofy family comedy, in which Steve Carell grows a beard and hurts himself a lot. Kinda like Are We Done Yet? with monkeys. And you’d be right. But as ridiculous and overdone as it may sound, Evan Almighty is actually pretty funny.
You see, when it comes to physical comedy, Steve Carell is a genius—and there’s definitely plenty of physical comedy to keep him busy in Evan Almighty. In fact, there’s a montage with nothing but Carell pounding his thumb with a hammer and falling off things and getting hit in the nether-regions—though I’m not necessarily saying that that’s a good thing. While I could have done with a little less of Steve Carell hurting himself, though, the fact that it’s Steve Carell instead of, say, Jim Carrey, seems to make it almost okay.
Of course, that’s not to say that I didn’t roll my eyes a few times—because I did. There are moments when it goes just a little bit too far (see above comments on Steve-Carell-falling-off-things montage). But, overall, Evan Almighty isn’t bad. The story may not be brilliant, but it’s cute—and there are even a couple of mildly heart-warming messages in the end. Freeman is wonderful (once again) as God. Carell is hilarious, as usual, and some of the supporting actors—especially Wanda Sykes, who plays Evan’s assistant—add plenty of laughs of their own. So although it isn’t the best comedy of the year, feel free to climb on board. Because as far as family movies go, Evan Almighty is relatively seaworthy.
