A great comedy! still too bad about its second halve.

Rating: 7/10 (26 January 2007)

This is a greatly crafted and funny comedy, starring Jim Carrey in top-shape.
The premise is a great comedy one. A 'normal' every day guy getting God's power, who of course at first start using it for his own benefit and pleasure but soon starts to realize the great responsibility of it and of the ability to help out people. It of course gives the movie plenty of material to create some fun and hilarious sequences around this premise. The movie is also filled with comical moments like this, which makes "Bruce Almighty" a very enjoyable and fun to watch movie. Definitely better than 90% of the comedies being released in cinemas these days.
Jim Carrey really makes the movie funny. He plays his character in a great comedy way and provides the movie with a couple of hilarious sequences but he also is great and convincing in the more 'serious' moments in the movie. But it seems a bit silly that he's spoofing some of his old previous comedy roles. It's never a good sign when a comedian starts to spoof his own previous roles. It often means that their careers are over, though I don't expect to be this the case with Jim Carrey.
Too bad that, like always, Jim Carrey has to carry the entire movie on its own. Sure, the movie features many other big names, such as Morgan Freeman, Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston and Philip Baker Hall but when it comes down to the comedy of the movie, Carrey is mostly on his own, although I think that this is also the way he likes it. Morgan Freeman is a good and fun God and Steve Carell also provides the movie with a couple of laughs. And regarding Jennifer Aniston; Sorry. Never have really been a big Jennifer Aniston fan, not even of her looks.
The second halve of the movie becomes way too moralistic and preachy toward the ending. The movie tries to bring over a moralistic message in a too forced and obvious way. It causes the second halve of the movie to be less fun, though it obviously still features some great comedy moments. This sort of moralistic movie and story can only work once, so I also don't have very high hopes for the sequel "Evan Almighty". I just don't think it will work out.
The movie is well directed and has some excellent comedy timing. It shows that Tom Shadyac knows how to handle the genre and should definitely continue making genre movies like these (but just not if it are sequels!).
A recommendable comedy, despite the more annoyingly preachy and moralistic second halve.
7/10
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