DVDBestowing Jim Carrey with godlike powers is a ripe recipe for comedy, and
Bruce Almighty delivers the laughs that Carrey's mainstream fans prefer. The high-concept premise finds Carrey playing Bruce Nolan, a frustrated Buffalo TV reporter, stuck doing puff-pieces while a lesser colleague (the hilarious Steven Carell) gets the anchor job he covets. Bruce demands an explanation from God, who pays him a visit (in the serene form of Morgan Freeman) and lets Bruce take over while he takes a brief vacation. What does a petty, angry guy do when he's God? That's where Carrey has a field day, reuniting with his
Ace Ventura and
Liar, Liar director, Tom Shadyac, while Jennifer Aniston gamely keeps pace as Bruce's put-upon fiancée. Carrey's actually funnier
before he becomes Him, and the movie delivers a sappy, safely diluted notion of faith that lacks the sincerity! of the 1977 hit
Oh, God! Still, we can be thankful that Carrey took the high road and left
Little Nicky to Adam Sandler.
--Jeff Shannon
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