Monday, May 19, 2008

Heavy Rotation: Evan Almighty

We here at the Peach Basket don't get out to the movies too often. We are tragically and hopelessly behind the cinematic times. However, when we do see something of note, and particularly something of note that's being shown in heavy rotation on cable, we need to share that with you. Let the Basket be your guide.

Evan Almighty (2007)
Director: Tom Shadyac, Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman

Ouch. This, friends, is a bad movie. My girlfriend called it “the worst movie ever”, but I’m pretty sure she hasn’t seen Toys, Jack Frost, or Shark Attack 3: Megalodon. That said, it is an amazingly bad sequel to an original that didn’t set the bar too high.

In fact, it’s not so much a less-funny sequel to Bruce Almighty than it is a less funny re-make of The Santa Clause. Same theme, same white-hair-and-a-beard gag, same spirit-withering emptiness as the final credits roll. Actually, that’s not fair. The Santa Clause had its moments, where as Evan Almighty never does. I didn’t think anyone could put Steve Carell on a screen for two hours and not inspire at least one belly laugh. Congratulations, Tom Shadyac, you proved me wrong. Not only did you prove me wrong, but you made me die a little bit inside, too. You took a cast of very funny people and made them as unfunny as possible.

Waste the two hours on this movie only if any of the following apply to you: You like Tyler Perry’s message, but not the black people he uses to deliver it; you thought the disaster effects in The Day After Tomorrow were a little too realistic for your taste; or you are a John Michael Higgins completist. Currently in rotation on HBO.

5 comments:

John Waters On Safari said...

As bad as Toys?!? How dare you sir! That was some of LL Cool J's finest work.

Mike Lisboa said...

That movie got 2 stars out of 10 from me on IMDB instead of 1 only because of LL's tour de force. I know greatness when I'm in its presence.

JT said...

"You like Tyler Perry’s message, but not the black people he uses to deliver it." If there's a better way to ensure my non-viewership, I haven't seen it.

Gina said...

I too have logged on to say that I liked Toys. The soundtrack was good. The track, "Happy Workers" by Tori Amos has proved very difficult to find... I should have hung on to that cassette!

May I suggest Event Horizon as a substitution?

Gina

P.S. The Tyler Perry comment was priceless.

Mike Lisboa said...

Toys? People are rushing to the defense of Toys? Go back and watch this movie, please. One of the worst movies ever committed to celluloid (back when they used that).