Great concept, poor execution

Rating: 4/10 (15 January 2004)

How can you mess up a comedy about an ordinary man (Jim Carrey as a somewhat self-centered reporter) being given the powers of God? I suppose a better question is how to do it right, and on that subject the creators of Bruce Almighty missed the mark.
This film takes an idea that almost everyone has wondered about in some form, in one of those "what if?" daydreams, and gives it a specific incarnation. The viewer is treated to some very well-done effects, like Bruce parting traffic, instantly coating everything in sight with Post-it notes, and driving girlfriend Grace (Jennifer Aniston) wild. Don't forget the scene that makes the movie worth watching: Bruce forcing his competitor, anchorman Evan Baxter (Steven Carell from The Daily Show) to ramble and babble like a lunatic while on the air.
However, the plot comes up kind of short. It gets somewhat fragmented with all of the funny physical comedy, and then when it tries to hit on an emotional level (and a somewhat sappy, unoriginal one at that), there hasn't been enough buildup. In particular, Grace and her relationship with Bruce aren't given enough exposition to expect the viewer to naturally care about them, so some things come out forced. For the most part though, this is forgivable, since the film is really a comedy with a spiritual message, which it does get across.
The real problem is the soundtrack. The orchestral score is distracting and too demonstrative. It's reminiscent of cartoons or pure slapstick comedies: too many musical sound effects. It's almost surprising that there's no trombone going "bwa bwa bwaaah" when something bad happens to Bruce. On the other hand, the film isn't actually for small children like the score would suggest, since there is a fair amount of cursing and mature material (for example, Bruce driving Grace wild). Perhaps it might have been better served going with an R rating, exploring the idea more thoroughly, and tossing out the cheesy sound effects. Since the creators didn't make that movie, we don't know. In any case, the one they did make is passable, but does not live up to the high standard set by the concept it's based on.