Bruce Almighty Makes You Laugh,
Not Think

Jim Carrey needed a true hit this summer. After being blessed with a golden touch early in his career, the rubber-faced comedian was in somewhat of a slump. The Majestic was a wasted two hours for anyone who sat through the entire film and Me, Myself and Irene failed to deliver the big boffo laughs that Carrey fans have grown accustomed to.

With this summer’s first big comedy film, Bruce Almighty, Carrey attempts to regain his title of blockbuster comedy king. To that effect, the new film works. It is a clever story of a television news reporter who has dreams of one day sitting in the anchor desk. When life hands him a series of setbacks, he curses God for the lousy work he is doing down here on earth. Enter Morgan Freeman as the much put upon God. He figures the best way to deal with Bruce is to let him have the powers of the almighty for a few days so he can see what a tough job it really is.

Bruce Almighty tries very hard to be a modern day Frank Capra film. The themes of not appreciating what you have ‘til it’s gone, second chances, and the evils of greed are straight out of It’s a Wonderful Life, a movie that is actually playing on a television set in one scene. Unfortunately, Carrey’s attempt at playing a Jimmy Stewart-like “everyman” gets lost in his desire to make every scene a laugh riot.

The first half of the film is vintage Carrey with an emphasis on his patented physical and facial comedy abilities. The movie is enjoyable and funny while Bruce is down on his luck and then when he explores his new godlike powers. It bogs down at the end when sentimentality and life lessons rear their ugly heads. Although the movie attempts to steer clear of preachiness, that is exactly what the pat happy ending seems to be saying.

Not that there aren’t plenty of laughs along the way. Carrey delivers a seemingly endless supply of sight gags that reaffirm his ability to tickle the ribs of his customers. The film opens with a hilarious scene where Bruce the reporter tapes a segment at a Buffalo bakery where the largest cookie in city history has been baked. The bakery employees keep screwing up Bruce’s attempts at real news reporting but he uses the fowl-ups to enhance his story. Bruce’s funny yet people-loving nature is endearing and he only loses some of his charm after he has been given Godlike powers.

Ultimately Bruce Almighty is Carrey’s vehicle. The comedic talents of Freeman, Aniston, Carrell and Lisa Ann Walter—while not entirely wasted—are not given a chance to shine as bright as they should. Carrell is one of the many new talents gracing The Daily Show on Comedy Central and his role as the egotistical television news star could have been greatly expanded. Freeman has some good lines as God putting a new spin on a role played previously by actors George Burns (Oh, God), George Plimpton (Religion, Inc.), Alanis Morissette (Dogma), Ralph Richardson (Time Bandits), Charleston Heston (Almost An Angel), and Graham Chapman (Monty Python and the Holy Grail). He has some of the funniest lines in the movie, although with his deadpan delivery you have to on the lookout for them.

Although :Bruce Almighty may not be the funniest movie of Carrey’s career, it is the funniest one in recent history and a nice break from a summer cinema season otherwise full of explosions and in-your-face special effects.

Bruce Almighty is rated PG-13 and is currently playing at Regal Cinemas in Boone.