Evan Almighty Review
by Clint Morris
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They say money doesn’t make you happy; some filmmakers are likely to agree.
The bigger the film’s budget, the more troubles that seem to stem from a production. Anyone that worked on Waterworld,
with its out-of-control budget and behind-the-scenes kafuffles, will
attest to that. And let’s not even bother the accountants on Heaven’s Gate
to ask to have a look at their fat books – it’d take them a year just
to lug them out. And God definitely wasn’t helping to guide Evan Almighty when the money gods smiled on it.
Richard Pryor had no idea how to work with his mighty inheritance in Brewster’s Millions, and as a consequence just blew it on anything and everything.
This Bruce Almighty
spin-off (was the Jim Carrey effort really that good to sustain a
spin-off?) was just as unsound when it came to spending smartly. When
the budget for the film started spiralling to $175 million (!), the
publishers at the Guinness Book sat up and leaned forward – suddenly,
what should’ve been a modestly budgeted no-brainer comedy had taken on
the guise of an almost epic uber-expensive movie; so expensive, it won
an automatic place in the book as the priciest comedy ever made.
And
no, it isn’t worth the money – but was it ever going to be? No damn way
- not if it doesn’t come with a bag of gold bullion on every
cinemagoer’s seat.
When we last saw Evan Baxter (Steve Carell),
he was being ‘forced’ into fluffing his lines and carrying on like a
buffoon, on a nightly newscast. Now, the man at the desk is the man in
the oval office – as the dimish family man wins a seat in Congress.
It’s
not all beer and skittles though, because God’s (Morgan Freeman
reprising his role from the first film) not content with letting him
rest comfortably just yet. Before that, he’ll have to build an Ark.
Yep, an Ark, as in the wooden vessel Noah built. Bring on the animals;
bring on the Noah beard; cue the flood. Hold the laughs.
Whilst Bruce Almighty
wasn’t exactly a laugh riot, it definitely encompassed a bit more juice
in its prima packet than the spin-off. Instead of spending their time
cooking up some good gags and tweaking the soft script, the filmmakers
have paid way too much attention to the special effects – assumingly
where all the money went – and as a consequence, it’s the only aspect
of the film that’s really in tip top shape.
Having said that, the effects are damn impressive – very impressive; near Jurassic Park
standards – and hold your attention big time. The film’s last twenty
minutes are a showcase for the boys of the blue screens and pilots of
the PC’s.
Just a pity the filmmakers didn’t subscribe to as many jokes as they did online effects editing programs. 2.5 out
of 5 Evan Almighty
Australian
release: 20th September,
2007
Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman, Jimmy Bennett
Director: Tom Shadyac
Website: Click
here.
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