Not So Almighty

Rating: Null/10 (20 October 2006)

Jim Carrey's always been something of a contortionist. His movies have been uneven and not anyone's favourite but as the writing's got better he's come to the fore. A relative late coming Liar Liar really showed off what he could do. And he's awesome he's so creative. And sticking with that movie a second, the story is cute and it's capable of holding together.
Now cut to this 'gem'. Carrey's contortions are replaced - in some places augmented - by digitally created special effects. We need this? We want this? When Carrey's a talent like he is on his own?
Maybe the demographic for Jim Carrey movies is going down the years film after film. Maybe this one is for nine year olds in Tennessee. Whatever: it makes no sense.
This one has so many plot idiosyncrasies and outright contradictions it's not funny. So you have to ask: if the story makes no sense, what right do the studio people have asking you to like it? And if they can't stick to the same suspension of disbelief logic throughout, how are you supposed to take it seriously?
Watching the closing credits is a chore. They go on forever. There are hundreds upon hundreds of people involved in the making of this film. And they all seemed ostensibly to do a good job. Why then can't one demand the same thing from the screenwriters and the idiots at the studios who come up with these ridiculous ideas?
Hollywood might be only one way of making movies and telling stories, but the people there are professional. Why is it then that the really great movies are always the ones that do not come out of Hollywood?
Why can't these idiot studio moguls buzz off and let the writing talent they hire do their job like everyone else?
There are so many good stories out there waiting to be written. This is not one of them.
PS. They're working on a sequel? The last to leave Hollywood please turn out the lights. They can't afford to pay the bills there anymore. Not when the best they're capable of is lame things like this. Save yourself the pain: don't see these films.