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by Flick Chick Vique

Evan Almighty sails in with 3 1/2 Red Vines for heavenly comedy

Director Tom Shadyac and writer Steve Oedekerk, the guys behind Bruce Almighty, are back for more heavenly laughs in their new movie Evan Almighty, but instead of leading man Jim Carrey, they’ve centered their comedy around a minor character, that of Even Baxter.

The former news anchor turned newly elected congressman is enjoying a meteoric rise to power even if it appears to be at the expense of family time. Meticulous grooming, the fawning from underlings and making a name for himself are at the top of his list. He’s not a bad guy just extremely self-centered. So self centered that he rebukes his wife’s suggestion of praying for guidance in his plan to ‘change the world’.

But in the still of night, Evan thinks his wife might be right after all and he asks for divine guidance. As in Bruce Almighty, Morgan Freeman reprises his role as God. His plan to change the world is a little different from Evan’s; he wants him to build an ark. Yeah, an ark, just like Noah, because a flood is a coming.

Of course Evan doesn’t believe any of this — at first. But when repeated signs turn into the flocking of animals and the delivery of ark building materials, he starts to see the big picture. Now he not only has to carry out his mission, he must convince everyone, including his family that he’s not crazy.

I didn’t see Bruce Almighty. Although I like Jim Carrey, I find his obnoxious characters totally unfunny. To me, they are downright uncomfortably cruel. His Bruce struck me that way in the trailers so I stayed away.

Now everyone knows that Steve Carell (The 40 Year Old Virgin, The Office) is notorious for his portrayals of obnoxious characters. But unlike Carrey, Carell always comes off a clod more than cruel. The end result is always very funny.

Sharing in the laughs is Wanda Sykes as Evan’s assistant. She gets the bulk of the punch lines, all delivered with razor sharp precision. Fans of the Gilmore Girls get a treat in Lauren Graham, though her part as Evan’s wife is minimal. John Michael Higgins (Dog Show) and John Goodman round out the cast, with Jonah Hill doing a stand out job as Evan’s intern.

But the real stars of the movie are all the great animals and a top-notch special effects team! Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting much but I was totally wowed and on the edge of my seat during ‘The Flood’ sequence!

Of course a story about a modern day Noah and his Ark is bound to have a morality lesson but mercifully it is not heavy handed. What you will get is a sweet movie with a lot of laughs that the whole family can enjoy together.