Following on from the 2003 comedy 'Bruce Almighty', this modern-day parable is supposed to be a humorous take on a biblical story, that of Noah's ark and the flood.
Tom Shadyac once again takes the helm for this sequel but Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston do not partake in the capers this time 'round. Instead comedy natural Steve Carell, star of 'The Office' and 'The 40- Year-Old Virgin' and Carrey's 'Bruce Almighty' co-star, leads the cast.
Carell stars as the newly-elected Senator Evan Baxter, a man on a mission to impress on his first day. His family have just moved home and wife Joan (Graham) and sons Dylan (Simmons), Jordan (Phillips) and Ryan (Bennett) are finding the transition a little on the rocky side.
To make matters worse Evan has started behaving very strangely. He seems to have developed a magnetic quality where animals are concerned and he claims that God (Freeman) is appearing to him and warning him about a flood, begging him to build an ark. And so, as the whole world gossips about how crazy he is, Evan sets about saving them all.
There's no doubting that Carell is a master of comedy but he is far better than this. He excels with dry, subtle wit as opposed to in-your-face, nasty slapstick. And while the supporting cast, including Morgan Freeman, are a worthy bunch, the film just never takes off.
Everything about 'Evan Almighty' is ridiculously over-the-top. At times you watch it thinking that maybe the brash humour will appeal to a younger audience but then you realise that it's only the really small ones who will derive any enjoyment from this as it relies far too much on really silly humour, when snappier dialogue could have given it a much wider appeal.
If there was a flood and this was the only movie showing on the ark, I'd brave it in a dinghy.
Linda McGee
