Movie Review - Evan Almighty

Evan Almighty copped a bit of a shellacking in the reviews that I saw. Too long, not funny, Steve Carell trying too hard. But I couldnt disagree more! Sometimes I wonder if the people writing movie reviews have their heads too far up their arse to appreciate an easygoing, feel good family movie; which is exactly what Evan Almighty is.

The thing about movies like this is that you know exactly what you are in for. Like when you listen to an ACDC album, you know you will get some drums, some guitars and that same rock groove. Or when you watch a Tarantino movie; you know you are going to get the music, the blood, the guts, the swearing and the drugs. When you are going to a Steve Carell movie based on a story from the Bible, you ought to know what you are in for.

Steve Carell plays Evan the slightly wacky family guy / somewhat reluctant congressman with the mandate of "changing the world". Following a visit from the Big Guy himself - aka Morgan Freeman - Evan also becomes a doer of God's will. The basic premise is that Evan is visited by God, who says he should build an ark. As you would expect, Evan's family, workmates and neighbours dont quite understand or believe him. In the course of building his massive ark Evan gets some help from some animal friends, and gets stuck in some sticky situations at work, which leads to much of the comic material.

For a movie that has some complex jokes, this movie works out as a pretty good family affair. It rolls along at a steady pace, and there is plenty of slapstick and animal fun to keep kids interested. Steve Carell is Steve Carell, and while this is probably not his best material, you do get a few good laughs - and kids will love his slapstick antics. The rest of the cast do a pretty good job too - Morgan Freeman is good as the laidback God, and John Goodman plays as good a bad guy as you need in a movie like this. The special effects were quite spectacular on the big screen, and the CGI was pretty believeable too.

There is no doubt that it's not going to win an Oscar, but it is a good way to pass a couple of hours with the family.

Would I buy it on DVD? Yes
How much would I pay? $12