Is there anything greedier than a true Hollywood producer? Most of them remind me of the glutton in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life who explodes when he eats the after dinner mint.
Any reasonably successful film will produce a sequel (unless everyone dies at the end and the ship sinks like Titanic, but I’ll bet there were ideas floating around Hollywood for a sequel). Some of them have nothing to do with the first film, but retain the title. Some are another episode in the character’s life. Some are a real continuation of the story.
And then there’s Evan Almighty. It doesn’t really continue the story, but it has characters from the first film (Bruce Almighty), it’s not the main characters, but they did retain the word “almighty” so you know it’s a real sequel.
Jim Carrey is making a habit of not being involved in sequels to his own movies (see Dumb and Dumber - or rather don’t). Evan Almighty, the sequel, takes Steve Carell’s very supporting character from Bruce Almighty and makes him the focus of the sequel.
That’s like Paris Hilton opting out of a sequel, so Kim Kardashian puts out her own home video on the market. Don’t get me wrong, Steve Carell is a very funny guy. He had me peeing on the person sitting next to me’s pants during 40 Year Old Virgin, he was the best part of Anchorman, and I never miss an episode of The Office.
But just because he launched himself into the A list comedy stratosphere with 40 Virgin, does he really need to be picking up other people’s scraps? I mean Will Smith won’t eat where Tom Hanks poops. Steve’s comedy has always seemed more low key to me and not the big broad over the top style that Jim employed in Bruce Almighty.
From a studio stand point it makes perfect sense. They have the title which hopefully means they have the audience, and now they have a star, so therefore they have a sequel. But Steve can really call his shots now, so why pick up where Jim left off? It must have to do with money and the boatload they’re paying him to make Evan.
Part of me is imagining Steve sitting on the studio’s yacht sipping champagne, lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills, and stuffing himself silly with mini burgers and Taco Bell, only because that’s what I would probably do.
The new film is directed by Tom Shadyac who also directed the last one. In fact Tom has not directed a film since Bruce Almighty. And while he was once the top comedy director in Hollywood a lot has changed in the past four years. The idea of the dopey, silly, broad comedy has been replaced by the funny, biting work of Judd Apatow and his comedy compadres.
Where once Ace Ventura and Patch Adams could bring in big bucks, they’ve been replaced by Wedding Crashers and Knocked Up. So do people still want to see Shadyac’s movies? I personally never thought Shadyac was very clever. Sure, I laughed at Ace Ventura like everyone else, but I never walked out thinking I had to see that movie again because I laughed through lines and missed jokes.
To be honest I never really enjoyed Bruce Almighty. Other than a few scenes, I thought Jim was too sappy and trying too hard. Jennifer Aniston was wasted in the role of “girlfriend” and only Morgan Freeman really looked like he was having fun in the role of God (good thing he returns for the sequel). The idea for the film was pretty clever – granting a man the powers of God, but the film was trying too hard to pull at the heart strings and it never really had me laughing very hard.
So with a miscast Steve Carell, a director whose time has passed, and a sequel that really does not make much sense in being a sequel, there’s not much really going in favor of Evan.
So far this summer we’ve seen sequels gross enough money to fund George Bush’s war in Iraq. Spider Man 3, Shrek 3, Pirates 3 have all been ridiculously successful. Even the June releases like Knocked Up and Ocean’s 13 have done decent box office.
But like any summer season there needs to be a bomb, and I’m predicting Evan Almighty will be the first casualty of the season.
Although it’s being marketed right and should appeal to families, I just think there’s too much working against it to be successful. The fact that it supposedly cost $175 million to make (due to all the animals) and the fact comedies don’t travel abroad as well as action certainly doesn’t help matters.
Good luck Steve, but I’m hoping you join forces with Judd Apatow again.
Evan Almighty releases everywhere (USA) June 22.
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