A notch in Carrey's bedpost

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 2003)

It's nice to see that Jim Carrey is managing to grow somewhat as an actor. He's still got a long way to go to match, say, a Robin Williams, on the ol' "stand-up comedian to serious actor"-ladder. But at least he's moving upwards. (I'm looking at you, Chris Rock.)
In this film, Jim Carrey is almost the straight man; the farcical elements happen AROUND him, not BECAUSE of him. Intriguingly, there IS a very Carrey-esquire moment, but it's not Jim Carrey acting - it's his arch-rival Evan Baxter, who gets to act like Jim Carrey (and, may I say, that was a very nice performance by Steve Carell, the Daily Show alumnus).
I like this movie because it's gutsy. It ventures into a controversial, spiky arena. I'm sure a lot of people are offended by the very thought that God is played by a black man, and that's just the beginning. It's an OK movie, but probably ultimately forgettable. A rung in the aforementioned ladder for Carrey and probably not much more.