Evan Almighty (2007)
Directed by Tom Shadyac
God contacts Junior Congressman Evan Baxter and tells him to build an ark in preparation for a great flood.
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What critics compared Evan Almighty to
In Tom Shadyac's followup to his own, nuttier Bruce Almighty, Carell's big-mouth broadcaster is now a newly elected Congressman, a job he scored by vowing to "change the world."
Honest, lowbrow comedy is not in the movie's agenda, however; no, it's all about spurious reaffirmations of faith and family values, with Tom Shadyak, who used to at least gather the critters around Ace Ventura, now rounding up pairs of animals for his sanctimonious modern-day Noah's Ark. Carell, who lent Bruce Almighty its single half-a-laugh, has been appropriately neutered for the dismal sequel, which upgrades the character from TV newscaster to Washington, D.C. congressman while downgrading the comic from sharp supporting player to insipid lead.
I don't know what I could add, anyway: every single review has already mentioned that the film sucks because Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) has been twisted from the smug asshole who was the sole justification for 2003's Bruce Almighty into a stock "emotionally distant dad" (true); because there is no story logic at all for the animals to exist in this updated Noah's Ark tale (true); because the idea of God (Morgan Freeman) commissioning an ark because he wants to flood a McMansion suburban tract is theologically incoherent (true); because it's a disgusting validation of the "Hollywood liberals are elitist!"
Writer Steve Oedekerk and director Tom Shadyac have already littered the cinematic landscape with such unwanted items as Patch Adams (1998) and Bruce Almighty (2003), subsequently sending the careers of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey spiraling downward.
It's a second coming from some of the people behind the more successful Bruce Almighty.
They either repurpose every gag from the first movie (The Hangover Part II, Airplane II) or diverge too far from the original's successful formula (remember Evan Almighty?).
Greg's mother (played by Molly Shannon of “Evan Almighty”) nags him into hanging out with Rachel (Olivia Cooke of “Ouija”) a girl who has just been diagnosed with cancer.
John Goodman (2007's " Evan Almighty ") and Susan Sarandon (2007's " Enchanted ") are earnest and touching as Pops and Mom Racer.