Above par, but where's the magic?

Rating: Null/10 (28 June 2003)

When I went to see Bruce Almighty I was hoping to see a return to the magical Jim Carrey era of Ace Ventura and the Mask, when he was at his peak.
This in a sense was true, with plenty of the physical comedy that has made Carrey the success that he is. He made the most of the divine powers he was granted, naturally with hilarious consequences. Morgan Freeman was also marvelously cast as the caring, really fantastic guy that we'd all like to see at the helm of the universe.
The problems started to occur as the film wound to a close. God forbid (no pun intended) we should just have a fun film which could entertain us for a few carefree hours. No, we had to get the moral, the earlier great ideas were drowned in sugary sweetness, and Carrey added to it with the horrible moralising that truly ruined Liar Liar. I almost walked out when we were told that it was a miracle "when a kid says no to drugs and yes to education", with lines like that Morgan Freeman should run for president.
All in all, a wasted opportunity.