Evan Almighty is a comedy for all ages that "you don't want to miss" (Kim Griffis, NBC-TV)! — Everyone's favorite funnyman Steve Carell is at his hilarious best as junior congressman Evan Baxter, whose wish to "change the w... more »orld" is heard by none other than God (Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman). When God appears with the perplexing request to build an ark, Evan is sure he is losing it. But soon mysterious deliveries of wood and tools are being dropped on his doorstep, animals of every shape and size are flocking to him two by two, and his self-absorbed life goes from overnight success to almighty mess! It's a great time for everyone!« less
Michel D. (michelann) from WALNUT GROVE, MO Reviewed on 1/29/2020...
Hilariously funny movie with a stellar cast including Steve Carell (the Office) who portrays a modern day Noah! Who else could play God better than Morgan? Building an enormous Ark is difficult enough in a sub-division but controlling all those thousands of animals, who of course come in pairs could be impossible for the average man but don't forget this guy was chosen by God himself! Fun all the way through and I especially loved watching Morgan Freeman as he looks to be having so much fun!
4 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Bill B. (retinkorea) from APO, AP Reviewed on 12/21/2012...
It's a fun movie!
Kristina C. (KCSunshineBand) from CHESTER SPRGS, PA Reviewed on 1/24/2010...
My kids just watched this movie (7,5,4 and 3) and LOVED it! We are not an overly-religious family, but they were familiar with the story of Noah and his ark. They loved watching Steve Carell "turn into" Noah with his white hair and robes, and they found it hysterical that he couldn't shave off his beard. The animals were an added bonus for them (they each tried to be the first to identify the pairs of animals correctly).
For me, it was nice to watch a family-friendly movie that all of my kids enjoyed. As a added bonus, they really seemed to understand the theme of the movie (which was repeated a few times): you can change the world with one small random act of kindness. My four year old told me before we tirned out his light tonight that he was going to be "more kind tomorrow".
Great message and funny/fun movie!
3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Evan Almighty is Mighty Entertaining
Marc Axelrod | Potter, Wi USA | 06/23/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The review I read in the USA Today suggested that this movie was a stinker. But I think the critics dropped the ball. This was a fun movie, and a great choice for the whole family. Evan Baxter is the former Buffalo news anchor who has just been elected to Congress with the lofty campaign slogan "Change the World."
This inspires God (played by Morgan Freeman) to speak to Evan about building an ark. God is angry that the beautiful Appalachian mountain vistas he has created are being destroyed by those desiring to create huge residential areas. He is upset with those who want to destroy the natural beauty of the world.
Animals start following Baxter around two by two, and (like in the Tim Allen flick "The Santa Clause") he begins to look like his predecesor (Noah).
Evan becomes alienated from his congressional colleagues and from his family, but by this point in the film, he is convinced that he is doing the work of the Lord.
As the plot unfolded, I started wondering, "Were the animals really necessary to the storyline, since the judgment of God was only falling on one region of the world rather than the entire planet?" But my wife told me that having the animals come to Evan from around the world demonstrated to the people that Evan wasn't crazy, and that this truly was a move of God.
Secondly, having the animals come to Evan ties this in neatly with the Noah story from Genesis 6.
The movie is not what I would call laugh out loud funny, but there are plenty of cute and heartwarming moments. The message of the film seems to be that we can change the world with one random act of kindness at a time. Both the message and the movie are winners in my book. Recommended.
"
Entertaining Enough, but Disappointing Overall
C. Crockett | Indiana, USA | 10/10/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Bruce Almighty (Widescreen Edition) took great pains to revamp the typical comedy film into a new and exciting story. Who knew a movie could take the delicate and often touchy subjects God and religion, and find the humor in it? Unfortunately, Evan Almighty doesn't accomplish nearly as much as it's far better predecessor.
Evan Almighty picks up the story of Evan Baxter (yes, the same news anchor who was a bane to the existence Bruce in the first film) as he and his family move to a new town after Evan becomes a newly elected Congressman. Evan is the perfect picture of consumerism, vanity, and a man desperate for the attention and approval of his peers (while mostly disregarding the opinions of his family). Unfortunately for Evan, God has other plans for him. After instructing Evan to build an Ark and save his family plus two of every kind of animal from the imminent flood, Evan begins to struggle with his desire to continue in his own life plan, or trust in the wisdom of God.
At a PG rating, this movie is fairly appropriate for kids and families. Some of the aspects of the story will tug a little at the heartstrings, but overall it was a little tired and boring. The best thing this movie had going for it was the spot-on entertaining portrayal of God by Morgan Freeman. Steve Carrell has gained a lot of comic success with his hit show The Office - Season Three and his hilarious turn in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated Widescreen Edition), but I'm sad to say that while he was great as a supporting character in the previous Almighty film, he didn't do so well as the primary character.
Bottom line, while God's warmth and sense of humor is a veritable breath of fresh air in this movie, everything else is a bit contrived and predictable to a fault. It probably would have been nice if the movie had left a little to the imagination, such as keeping the audience in suspense of whether or not the flood was really coming -- but for anyone who has seen any of the previews for the movie, that question is already answered. Bummer."
Wonderful family fun !
Very happy mom | USA | 09/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As parents of five children, we rarely take our children to see a movie before we've screened it. However, we felt that with the ads, the PG rating, and from seeing the messege from Bruce Almighty, we did. WE LOVED IT!!! We all laughed throughout the whole movie and even our 10 year old son (our oldest) got choked up in certain parts. It was very clean and the writing was sweet. We have always loved Steve Carell and we were not disappointed. It's not perfect, but we feel that so many missed out on the real point of this movie."
Family friendly fare
terpfan1980 | Somewhere near Washington DC, United States | 12/09/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Evan Almighty was not nearly as bad as reviews and earlier comments from some made it out to be, but also no where near as great as Bruce Almighty was. Both borrowed from the Oh God! series, which borrowed from earlier stories, etc. Though I gave the movie 4 stars in my rating, it's probably more like a 3.5 star movie (out of 5). Catch it in the right spirit (no pun intended here) and you may consider it a 4 star film. Go in with overly high expectations and you'll probably be thinking that 3 stars was generous.
Evan Almighty was more formulaic, but still offered up a cute story that is entertaining enough if you go in with reasonable expectations. If you are expecting greatness, then yes, you'll be disappointed, but if you can accept a touching story that gets (if you'll pardon the pun) flooded over with special effects, then you could enjoy this movie.
Much more family friendly than was Bruce Almighty, though Bruce Almighty worked better as a comedy because of that while Evan Almighty works better for family entertainment.
This movie looked pretty good on HD DVD. Combo disc format so you can play the movie on standard DVD if necessary (flipper disc, DVD on one side, HD DVD on the other).
I started out thinking the movie was probably best as a rental, but enjoyed it enough to go back and reconsider purchasing. If you can find this one on sale (under $20) it is probably worth adding to your collection. If you are seeing higher prices, wait for a sale perhaps, or try finding a nice used copy from one of the associated sellers."
Funny with a message
A. Shofner | Hamburg, PA USA | 01/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I enjoyed this one more than Bruce Almighty. No dirty humor. It's a fun time with a message, as always, Steve Carell is hilarious and Morgan Freeman is great."