A Family-Friendlier Sequel
Evan Offers a Flood of Laughter

Maybe it's a sign of the times. With war, global warming, and American Idol, perhaps the world is overdue for some divine intervention. Whether or not director Tom Shadyac needed an excuse to make a sequel to his 2003 hit Bruce Almighty, he has taken advantage of Steve Carell's supporting role in Bruce to change the focus and tone of the film.

Evan Almighty
Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) finds himself doing a little zoo keeping for God in Evan Almighty. (Universal, 2007)
Directed by: Tom Shadyac
Written by: Steve Oedekerk
Starring: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman, Wanda Sykes, John Michael Higgins, Jonah Hill, and Molly Shannon

Rated PG (for mild rude humor and some peril)
Running time: 95 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 8 out of 10.

In the new comedy Evan Almighty, God (Morgan Freeman) selects newsman turned newly-elected congressman Evan Baxter (Carell) to carry his message to the people. He offers Evan a daunting task: build an ark.

Of course, there are obstacles. Not only is Evan a freshman congressman, he also has a wife, Joan (Lauren Graham), and kids to consider. His work to get elected has already caused a rift in the family. His new boat project isn't going to help things.

Evan tries to avoid it, of course. H's attempt to juggle God's plans and his work as a congressman comes to a head pretty quickly. It doesn't take long for him to realize that he can't be both a politician and a prophet, so he just embraces the message.

And there is a message. Not surprisingly, it's an environmental one. God show Evan how his neighborhood originally looked, and He makes subtle comments that the lumber for the ark came from the trees cut down in the area. The bill that Congressman Long (John Goodman) wants Evan to co-sponsor takes protected lands out of the national parks and puts them into the hands of developers. The message is clear, but thankfully there's no mention of global warming or Al Gore.

A lot has been said about the budget for Evan Almighty, claiming that the special effects caused the price tag to soar to nearly $200 million. Though it may be the most expensive comedy film to date, the special effects are phenomenal -- and were necessary to the make the film believable. A host of animals appear in the film. They must have been superimposed via computers (to keep them from eating each other). In addition, they seem to have been trained for some amazing tasks.

Carell is easily the funniest man on television. For a guy who wasn't on most radars when The Office debuted in 2005, he has quickly made a name for himself. His character in Evan Almighty is so unassuming and inoffensive, it's hard to see him as the same guy. But comedy is clearly something that Carell knows well. Even with a robe, wig, and fake beard, he manages to always shine through.

Graham is excellent as Evan's long-suffering wife, Joan. (Joan. Of Ark. Get it?) She is wonderful as the "girl next door" type. Her work here is limited, but she gets one very nice scene with Freeman.

Freeman, as in the first film, is the real star of the show. His various appearances (and disappearances) are humorous, but it was the nametag he wore in one scene ("Al Mighty") that shows the great little touches this film delivers. As God, he comes across as friendly and loving, a higher power who truly loves humanity. While the film does not require a sequel, I would be happy to see writer Steve Oedekerk come up with one more opportunity for Freeman to play the Almighty. It's a perfect role for him.

The comedy in Evan Almighty is much more family friendly than in its predecessor. While Carell's fans may have been looking for something more in the vein of The 40- Year Old Virgin, this isn't the same type of comedy. It pleased me to see a film being marketed to kids that didn't use curse words or off-color humor. At worst, there is some slapstick violence and references to dog doo-doo.

While family friendly, Evan Almighty is not just a movie for kids. Adults will love it, too. Overall, this is a better film than Bruce Almighty. It's funnier and it has a broader appeal.