MOVIE REVIEW

Bruce Almighty  (2003)

Starring: Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston
Director: Tom Shadyac

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Universal

Release Date: 5.23.03

Review Posted: 5.30.03

Spoilers: None

By Christopher T. Bryan

"Good Summer Escapism, Yet Bruce Disappoints"

This summer finds Jim Carrey in a highly marketed return to his brand of comedy.  He is not reprising his role as Lloyd Christmas in this summer’s Dumb and Dumberer; instead he chose to make his return as Bruce, a man who is constantly in God’s bad graces until he is granted God’s powers.

Bruce Almighty puts a spin on the comedy by attempting to ask the question; is it easy to be God, and does anyone really want to be God? I personally found it difficult to take these questions seriously. It is a Jim Carrey movie after all; how serious can it be? Those who look past the comedic surface will see that the real issue is the self-centeredness of our population. How bad is Bruce’s situation really? 

He lives in a beautiful apartment in Buffalo with a job as a news reporter and Jennifer Aniston as his girlfriend; excuse me if I have a little trouble pitying this man. After a week of being gifted, Bruce is confronted by God (Morgan Freeman) who asks, “how many people have you helped?” The answer is none (besides himself). While we’re on the topic of self centered beings, how about a God who needs a vacation and simply bestows his powers on a human without any explanation, and then watches as this person causes heavy flooding, riots, and asteroid crashes without intervening.

Jim Carrey is getting to be a little too Jim Carrey. What once seemed spontaneous in his acting/comedic ability now seems calculated and predictable. I have to give credit for the funniest moment to Steve Carell (Evan Baxter). His contortions while being manipulated by Carrey during a news piece were hilarious and left the audience roaring. Jennifer Aniston foregoes critical acclaim and possibly meatier roles for a fluff part in a movie starring a leading man with such a huge personality that it is impossible to not end up in his shadow. Morgan Freeman as God is a crude attempt to make a statement that doesn’t push the envelope very far after the role has been filled in other movies by the likes of Alanis Morissette.

The experience of going to Bruce Almighty felt like a big mathematical equation with my enjoyment of the movie not taken into account. The trailers for this film showed at least part of every humorous moment, leaving no chance for surprise or genuine enjoyment of a fresh situation. This coupled with the filmmaker’s attempts at shoving catchphrase after catchphrase down the audience’s collective throat left me feeling manipulated and under appreciated.

The bottom line here is that Bruce Almighty is good summer escapism, despite its faults. Turn your brain off and marvel at how Jim Carrey manages to take in such a huge paycheck for doing the same stunts he’s been getting paid to do for the past ten years.

Rating: 2 out of 4  |  Read Review #1

TOP