User reviews

Some of the characters from 'Bruce Almighty' return to the franchise. Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) is now the TV anchor from Buffalo who gets elected Congressman. He's living a nice life when God (Morgan Freeman) picks him to be the new Noah. Nobody believes him even his wife Joan (Lauren Graham).

The only salvation this movie has is the nice guy persona of Steve Carell. He has just enough charisma to keep this movie going. However it is impossible to see why nobody believes him. When his wife runs off, it signaled a very artificial bent to the story. Evan is followed by hundreds of animals and people are actually laughing. It makes no sense. I would figure he would have an army of religious people ready and willing to help. It's a manufactured reaction to make a fake hurdle for Evan to jump over. Only Steve Carell's likability kept the movie alive.

Steve Carell reprises his role as Evan Baxter in this sequel to Bruce Almighty.

Evan Almighty jumps right into the mix of things with little build up. Right off the bat we find out that news anchor Evan Baxter has segued his career into one of political aspirations. Soon after being elected to the United States Congress under a slogan painting him as a politician out to change the world, God (Morgan Freeman) commissions Baxter to build an ark in the midst of one of the worst droughts in the history of the area.

In a predictable move the area townspeople antagonize Baxter as he begins the construction of the ark. Baxter's reputation is further soiled by the fact that his political career is being looked as a joke when he starts wearing sack cloth on a regular basis, and animals of all kinds are following him around in pairs. Baxter's boss Congressman Long, who once supported him quickly, becomes the antagonist as the people begin to turn against Baxter.

Evan Almighty is predictable on every turn, and has enough humor to satisfy. The animals do their part to provide a fair share of fecal humor. Morgan Freeman offers up plenty of wisdom in the role of God. Steve Carell does an exceptionally adequate job of delivering very humorous dialogue, which in his style is sure to be adlibbed in great part. The sheer amounts of animals in this film are overwhelming and a treat to behold. Overall the storyline and humor feel very cliché. Evan Almighty was a mild success, but just does not offer anything special apart from a few good laughs. Parents with children will get their money's worth out of this, but for everyone else it is a worthwhile rental.

Honestly one of the two most disappointing movies I have ever seen (the other being Big Top Pee Wee). Let me first state that I was really looking forward to this movie. I really liked Bruce Almighty (part one). I also thought the idea of having the sequel being centered around the Noah story was a strong idea. I felt you bring back Steve Carrell and bring back Morgan Freeman. That is was an interesting way to get by without Jim Carrey. Afterall Steve Carrell is a rising Hollywood star…the next Jim Carrey or Will Farrell. I saw the clips of Steve with his beard and Noah get up…the visual looked funny to me. I thought there was room for some funny scenes with Animals.

Honestly I was wrong dead wrong. The only animal getting really any valuable screen time were the Baboons…the animals were hardy in it. I think most were just stage dressing done with CGI. Honestly the script for this movie needed a total overhaul. You will watch this movie and think you are being treated like you are some kind of moron. The worse thing about this movie though is it is not funny…probably the directors fault because everything that should be funny just isn't.

Again as for the script, weird things start happening to Evan. And Evan rather than try to convince people that something strange is going on….just seems fine with everyone thinking he is crazy. A good example is one morning Evan wakes up with a beard. He tries to shave the beard. In second the beard grows right back. So rather than show his wife, family, and friends this….he simply lets them think he is crazy. I mean seriously, if some man you knew grew a full beard overnight (or really in one second) would you not think something strange is happening…instead people think Evan is crazy. Then, animals following Evan around everywhere he goes…in pairs. But rather than thinking something strange is going on…everyone thinks Evan is crazy….look people you can see the animals follow Evan around…he does not have a leash on. It is one thing after another that leaves you going – HELLO SCRIPT WRITERS ARE YOU FIVE YEARS OLD! So again, this movie was painfully bad. I really feel I needed to write a review. About 30 minutes into this I was going….wow I am so bummed….I looked forward to this movie…………………………..and unfortunately it was total crap. Don't waste your time on it. This movie was rumored to cost like $200 Million to make…let them lose money on it because the people deserve better than to be treated like total morons. I could not be more disappointed.

Steve Carell returns as prissy newsreader Evan Baxter, a little less mean-spirited this time around unlike his previous small turn in 'Bruce Almighty'. Of course, Carell was up and coming then but as his box-office success shows, the character responsible for arguably the only really funny scene in 'Bruce Almighty' deserves a film of his own. Shadayac and co. have approached it with a novel (if potentially expensive idea) to make God (Morgan Freeman) appear this time to instruct Baxter to build an Arc and, as Noah did before him, load it full of animals to protect them from an for an oncoming flood. It's an idea that's very entertaining, even if the jokes are less easy than the previous premise. Evan's transformation of appearance and being pursued by eager animals are the main areas of humour here, which means at times the film is thin on the ground. Sentiment comes in the form of Evan's neglect of his family; the audience will know exactly where this will be going, but fortunately the sentiment isn't as annoying as you might believe. It's also very much a family affair, the humour and the language very much for family audiences. Disappointingly, Shadayac, responsible for bringing out two of Jim Carrey's worst performances (namely 'Liar Liar' and 'Bruce Almighty') by letting Carrey overdo it by seemingly telling him to do the whole thing as an impression of William Shatner, mistakenly this time opts to take Carell down a notch. Carell's trademark hysteria and bizarre reactions are in short supply and we have an all together calmer 'Little Miss Sunshine'-esquire turn, which also means the film loses some of it's potential in this instance. Wanda Sykes and co. are merely stock characters needing better dialogue. Does this make it a bad film? Not at all. It's religious tie-ins (if rushed) are quite smart and it's very well directed visually with a great use of music and keeping a steady pace. It is what's on the label, but with a jaw-droppingly impressive final act which will really take you by surprise and could be up there as one of the sights of the summer! You could do a lot worse than enjoy 100 minutes of easy-going fun but if it's a laugh-out-loud roller-coaster you want, you will leave short-changed!

Although I enjoy Steve Carrell's work, Evan the Almighty, like so many other overdone films turned out to be a lot worse than I hoped it would be.

This turned out to be a cheesy family movie, the kind that employ famous comedian to improve their image, but ultimately fail to deliver.

The usual Carell's dorky humour is almost absent from the movie and though he did make me chuckle a few times, there was nothing hilarious about him in Evan the Almighty.

His 3 kids, although were probably somehow important for a biblical character, were really quite useless in the movie and terrible actors. Even his wife, was somewhat of a third leg for such a simple storyline.

Spending so much money on making a comedy was a huge mistake. Although, Carell's career might profit from this movie, there's no real reason to go see it.

If only there was a little less of his family, a little more of Carell, Molly Shannon and maybe some other SNL cast, it could have actually been a lot more entertaining.

4/10 for a few chuckles here and there.

Did some one say comedy... this cannot be categorized as a pure comedy and it doesn't come under the cadre of Bruce Almighty and Steve Carell though he tried hard is not match to Jim Carrey. This is not a pure comedy and has its own emotional scenes to counter your comic feelings while watching the movie..... Buy your popcorn and drink before you go to the movie and don't expect to have a pain in your gut because you don't do any big laughing exercise in it. Still it has kept with its pace, being a smaller movie of less than 100 minutes adds to its advantage.

It has a good script and quite a happy feeling at the end of the movie... It is good to see these kind of movies as a family outing and feel good when you see your family members smiling after the movie.

This was, simply put, a bad movie. As a big fan of Steve Carell, I had high hopes, at least for his performance. Unfortunately, he could do nothing to save it. There were even times when I found him to be incredibly annoying. The pace is too fast, to the point where watching the beginning of the film is like seeing a montage of events that happened prior. There is little to no character development, especially for Evan's family. While the film is visually stunning, an overinflated budget cannot always save a film from a poor script, poor acting, and poor direction. Don't waste your time unless you're with children.

5/10

I loved Bruce Almighty. I thought it was brilliant. Knowing this movie lacked Jim Carrey prevented me from seeing the film for a long time. I wish I hadn't done so. Though this film has a very weak IMDb rating, I completely stand by my 9/10 rating. Though the film lacked the comparable humor to Bruce Almighty, and often times any actual humor at all, the plot was creatively written, and the story moved at a very good pace. I am glad I finally got around to seeing this film, and would heavily encourage others to see the film as well. Is it the best film I've seen? No. Is it a film to go out of your way to see? No. But it is not a film worthy of anything below a seven rating. I would watch this film again. I did not see it in theaters, and am more thankful for that. Theatre prices are extremely expensive, and this movie is worth the price of a rental movie. Personally, I do recommend the film!

One hundred and seventy five million dollars is a hell of a lot of money to spend on even the biggest summer blockbuster. Not even Michael Bay had a budget that big for Transformers, so exactly how Universal Pictures spent that much cash making Evan Almighty is a mystery. They certainly didn't spend it on the script for one thing as the film is not so much a classic comedy as it is Christian flag waving and bar one or two quiet chuckles, you're most likely to spend the duration wondering where the budget went or why Steve Carrell felt the need to slum it in a decidedly average movie at the exact moment when his star profile has begun to rise.

A sequel to the Jim Carrey comedy Bruce Almighty, this film sees former supporting character Evan Baxter (Carrell) moving up the ladder into the main player slot. The story opens with him leaving the news desk to become a public official and moving to Washington with his wife and three generic sons (slightly weird primary school moppet, spirited middle schooler and sulky teenager). Evan's bid to change the world through politics however gets a spanner in the works when God (Morgan Freeman) appears and asks him to build an Ark.

In other words, it's an updating of the old Genesis story, with Evan fighting off cynicism and naysayers to build the immense boat. Unfortunately, while the premise is reasonably promising, it sadly does not provide many laughs. There's a bit of fun to be had in the early going where Evan's straight-laced MP tries to juggle the demands of public service with the unwelcome packs of animals that follow him around and a beard that resists all attempts to shave it, but as soon as he accepts his divine mission, the film takes a nosedive.

From this point on, it turns into a message movie. Evan begins preaching with alarming regularity and Morgan Freeman keeps turning up to offer kind wisdom, while gently prodding his chosen in the right direction. Without Evan's resistance though, the only trace of comedy left comes in the form of a few rubbish animal-feces jokes and John Michael Higgin's role as Evan's exasperated right-hand man. Higgins may show the same rich comic potential that he did previously in Arrested Development, but his enthusiasm cannot save the sinking vessel, especially seeing as Carrell has all but placed his formidable improv skills on the back-burner.

In some respects, it's slightly similar to the Passion of the Christ, but unlike Mel Gibson's movie which encouraged everyone to believe in God through blood letting and guilt tripping, Evan Almighty tries a more gentle approach. The movie simply tells us that we should have faith in God, because He has faith in us. Unfortunately, this movie is just as likely to make you laugh as the Passion is. Carrell is on autopilot, the jokes don't exist and Wanda Sykes makes a bid to become the most annoying person on the planet. It might be sweet, but somebody just tossed $175 000 000 overboard.

Evan Almighty generated a lot of hype before its release. A lot of people loved Bruce Almighty, and were expecting something just a zany and hilarious in Evan Almighty. Most of them were disappointed: this movie was received negatively by most critics and audiences alike. Well, I liked it! First of all, this movie has been misunderstood, because it was mismarketed. It was marketed as a hilarious sequel to Bruce Almighty (and the trailer made it look that way, too). But, to be perfectly honest, this is more of a family film than a comedy. But it is a really good family film.

This film had a lot of potential for comedy. It delivered at times, but not consistently. It also had two very crude toilet humour jokes involving male genitalia (just the word, though, nothing beyond that). I will freely admit, this isn't nearly as hilarious a comedy as the original. But it's good in its own right.

Morgan Freeman's scenes as God were excellently written and performed! One scene in particular, in a restaurant, was really touching and moving. Freeman is really a terrific actor, I'm glad they cast him as God. The performances in this movie were, overall, great. (Although it's a lot of fun watching the young kid unable to resist looking into the camera when pointing out two doves to his dad.) So, all in all, Evan Almighty is not "almighty" but it's still "alrighty".

This movie turned out to be a little better than I thought. Steve Carroll was funny as usually. The animals were cool too. Some of them were real, but a lot of them were computer generated. I thought the film sent a good message. That spending family time is important and that is what God was trying to teach the Baxter's. I liked the part that Evan couldn't cut his hair or beard and then then the Moses robes added to the effect. I have to take away some praise though with the whole ark floating though Washington DC. That was just plain silly. Wanda Sikes gets some good one liners too.

FINAL VERDICT: More geared for kids. It's OK to watch once, but not good enough for more viewings.

With a cast of hugely talented comedic actors like Steve Carell, Lauren Graham, John Goodman and Wanda Sykes, I was expecting a laugh out loud comedy. Sadly, Shadyac's 'Evan Almighty' only provides a few such moments. There just isn't enough comedy and at times it's a little too dramatic. Throughout the films, there are only but a very few dialogues that are funny as a result of which actors like Sykes and Graham don't have enough comedy to work with. Carell reprises his role from the prequel 'Bruce Almighty' but this time he's a little more of a nicer guy. Overall, Carell does a good job but he's more in the 'Little Miss Sunshine' mode which brings 'Evan Almighty' down a notch because that kind of character doesn't fully work for this kind of film and it is Shadyac to be blamed for not making something better of something decent. Yet, Carell's the only one who provides comic relief even though it's with limited quantity. His interaction with the animals are awesome to watch. Morgan Freeman is more cheerful and more annoying in this one. Lauren Graham plays the typical housewife and mother well and her reaction to Carell's transformation is excellent. In spite of all it's flaws, it is the last half hour that lifts the film. It builds up the drama and suspense very well and sort of has an adventurous feel. This entire sequence is very well executed. The soundtrack is well used and the songs are nice too. Thus, despite its shortcomings, it's still entertaining, but don't expect a laugh riot.

Okay, this is another movie that has split the internet in half. Almost universally lambasted (by the professional critics, I mean), "Evan Almighty" is apparently only liked by people who hated its predecessor, "Bruce Almighty". The differences between the two movies are legion. "Bruce" was basically a series of sketches strung together by some overall but not terribly important plot line. "Evan" is the reverse; a coherent plot-line occasionally punctured by funny moments. I like a story rather than just a sitcom. So sue me, you half a billion people who disagree.

Where "Bruce" was insufferably stupid, tasteless and unengaging, "Evan" was intelligent, inoffensive and actually contained a story and a message, and the story and the comedy actually worked together. I am not religious. Nor am I normally a fan of Steve Carell, at all. Much bigger fan of Jim Carrey. But I found "Bruce" to be forgettable crap fluff, whereas I'm quite convinced that "Evan" will be remembered far longer and far better by posterity. Especially because posterity tends to be a lot more intelligent than the present. Nyah nyah.

7 out of 10. Just about my maximum rating for movies of this particular type.

In "Evan Almighty," God turns out to be a celestial one-trick-pony (or should that be a PAIR of one-trick-ponies?).

Apparently, the good Lord does what every cheapjack Hollywood mogul does when he's run out of fresh ideas and inspiration: He remakes one of the old standbys that proved its worth the first time around. And what more dramatic material to bring up to date than the story of Noah and the worldwide flood?

Well, I guess if Billy Bob Thornton can single-handedly build a fully functioning rocket in his own barn, then Steve Carell can certainly construct a full-scale, floatable ark in his backyard - although in fairness to Thornton, it should be pointed out that his character doesn't have God Himself, in the person of a gap-toothed Morgan Freeman, providing him with the resources and know-how necessary to get the job done.

"Evan Almighty" is an in-name-only sequel to the hit comedy "Bruce Almighty" from a few years back. In the lead role, Jim Carrey has been replaced by Steve Carell, who played the manipulative, sarcastic Buffalo weatherman, Evan Baxter, in the previous film. Somehow, Baxter seems to have undergone a complete personality transformation over the course of several years, since now he is a puppy-dog idealist who has just been elected to the U.S. Congress on the ever-so-trite slogan, " Change the World." However, no sooner does he move his family from upstate New York to suburban Virginia than he begins receiving visitations from a strange man claiming to be God and commanding Evan to build an ark on the lot next door. Naturally, his family and co-workers believe the poor man has gone off the deep end, although here the movie betrays its lack of internal consistency since the "miracles" that are occurring to him - being followed all over town by pairs of exotic animals, being unable to shave his newly grown beard and whiskers etc. - are there for all to see, thus making the disbelief of the populace either a monument to their own stupidity or, more likely, an implausible, heavy-handed plot device. And speaking of plot devices, why do all these non-indigenous creatures like giraffes, elephants and lions - let alone all the birds - show up to this location when the flood itself turns out to be a mere local event? Exactly what are they fleeing from (unless there's a zoo with very flimsy cages nearby which we know nothing about)?

And, of course, to smooth things over for modern audiences, who might be made a trifle uncomfortable by all the wanton death and destruction in the original story, the Steve Oedekerk script is quick to point out that THIS flood is no act of wrath on the part of God, and that even the first one was actually a tale about commitment and love. Is there nothing Hollywood can't reduce to sheer dreck and utter pablum?

Directed by Tim Shadyac, "Evan Almighty" is said to be the most expensive comedy ever made. Well, the "expense" we can see, what will all the CGI effects and animal-control needed to make the concept come to life on screen. The "comedy," on the other hand, is a trifle more difficult to discern. Even though the movie gets its requisite dog-poop joke out of the way in the first five minutes, this is a decidedly more tame, family-friendly movie than the often raunchy "Bruce Almighty." That would be fine if the jokes in "Evan Almighty" happened to be funny. Instead of humor, however, we're given a God who smiles smugly and delivers sappy little homilies about belief and faith in terms so simpering and blithe they make your average Sunday School lesson seem edgy and dark in comparison.

Carell does what he can with a poorly written part, but Freeman's arch condescension wears thin very early on. Wanda Sykes, as one of Baxter's Congressional aides, repeats her trick from the wretched "Monster-in-law" of hijacking all the movie's best lines, and one wishes she could at least have been assigned the role of Mrs. Noah as a means of garnering her a bit more time on screen.

Here's hoping that God comes up with new and better material - or at least a better ghost-writer - the next time around.

I don't understand all the negativity towards this movie, I loved it and thought it was just as good as Bruce Almighty (if anything, I think I may prefer it). It's creative, lighthearted, and overall a fun movie that I've watched several times!