Tha great Morgan Freeman is back as God, commanding reporter turned congressman Steve Carell to build an ark because a flood is on its way. Never mind that God created a rainbow as a covenant to vow that there would never be another flood again out of his wrath. There's apparently a twist on that here. Carell, Jim Carrey's rival in "Bruce Almighty", gets visit from Morgan Almighty, and before you know it, Carell is being visited by two of every creature, covered in snakes and scorpions while driving on his way to Congress, and fighting himself covered in bird doo several times throughout the film. Wood miraculously appears on his Mansion lawn, and before long, Carell can no longer shave and there's an old fashioned robe waiting for him when he gets out of the shower.

While all this is happening, wife Lauren Graham thinks he's going nuts, boss John Goodman wants to see him booted out of Congress, yet as he realizes the seriousness of God's request, Carell perseveres. Standing by him with a wisecrack at every turn is his personal assistant, Wanda Sykes, stealing the film with her deadpan delivery. There are a lot of funny moments here, but overall, it's just so so. Carell has never been one of my favorite funny man, but he is a bit more likeable here, and there are some truly amusing moments. But the film as a whole is a let down for various reasons both realistic and spiritual, although there are some moments that are quite memorable. And of course any film that utilizes a lot of animals will undoubtedly be fun for the kids. A mixed bag, but not really a disaster.

I thought this was a decent comedy from director Tom Shadyac. I enjoyed Bruce Almighty, and as a follow up movie, this is a good attempt but doesn't quite work.

That said though, there are a number of good points. Steve Carrell does a good job as Evan Baxter if perhaps more restrained than Jim Carrey, and Morgan Freeman as usual is exceptional as God. John Goodman is amusing as Evan's boss. The music I thought was outstanding, and the ending with Noah's Ark was a jaw dropping moment. The script does have its irreverent spots for adults, and the film has a nice story. Plus on a technical level the film is lovely to look at.

However, there are parts that didn't work as well. While there are jokes for adults, there are others that will fly over children's heads. The direction wasn't as good as it should've been, and didn't seem to do any favours directing his stars. Also, a similar problem I had with Bruce Almighty, if it had been longer, scenes and characters could have been better developed. And there are faults with the screenplay that lacked originality.

Overall, above average but sadly underdeveloped and uneven family comedy. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Some of the characters from 'Bruce Almighty' return to the franchise. Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) is now the TV anchor from Buffalo who gets elected Congressman. He's living a nice life when God (Morgan Freeman) picks him to be the new Noah. Nobody believes him even his wife Joan (Lauren Graham).

The only salvation this movie has is the nice guy persona of Steve Carell. He has just enough charisma to keep this movie going. However it is impossible to see why nobody believes him. When his wife runs off, it signaled a very artificial bent to the story. Evan is followed by hundreds of animals and people are actually laughing. It makes no sense. I would figure he would have an army of religious people ready and willing to help. It's a manufactured reaction to make a fake hurdle for Evan to jump over. Only Steve Carell's likability kept the movie alive.