Bit of a missed opportunity

Rating: 5/10 (15 November 2006)

This could have been dazzling but, for me, was a misfire, mainly because the Jim Carrey character was so hard to like. I'm a Carrey fan, but in this case, the script and direction seemed to be against him.
Near the start of the film, Bruce's boss refers to another character as "an asshole" and says "You couldn't be". However, he behaves like one through most of the film, with his whining and complaining seriously overdone. You have to wonder why his girlfriend sticks with him for so long. As often, the dog (when he appears) steals the show.
The best scenes are the ones a third of the way through, after Bruce first gets his powers. Here the film shows energy, with Carrey doing what he's best at - being an amusing "wise guy". After this, though, it all gets a bit tedious. The performances are fine, particularly from Carrey and Morgan Freeman, but the filmmakers don't seem sure about where they're heading, or what the moral (if any) is. Ultimately the film is a bit of a mess.