Reviews: Bruce Almighty

[JoBlo]

JoBlo's 5/10 review of BRUCE ALMIGHTY can be found here: http://www.joblo.com/brucealmighty.htm

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[ohsocrazy]

As soon as i saw Jim Carrey's face on the screen, i couldnt stop laughing, and i didnt stop until the end. Carrey is my favorite actor, person, and he is my idol. Everything he said in this movie cracked me up, but i noticed that i was only one in a handful of ppl that were laughing in a full theatre. i guess you have to really like this guy to enjoy the movie cuz Joblo is right. This movie could have been so much more, and did it really have to end so predictable? Definetly dissapointing. But if you laugh at anything Jim Carrey says...i can guarantee a good time. There is a lot of funny parts in the movie, the best being Bruce making Evan say all this funny stuff during a live report. Freeman was great as God, he fit the role great. But i noticed this flick run out of steam alot towards the end. I dont even think i laughed once during the last quarter of the movie, but i guess the first part makes up in laughs for it.

Overall, this was definetly a funny movie (and often hilarious), but as Joblo mentioned, it is disappointing with a script that could have been so much more, especially the ending.:mad:

7/10

[Boba Joe]

A very funny movie. Jim Carrey still has what it takes to make people piss their pants laughing. Morgan Freeman did an excellent job as the Heavenly Father. I really could sympathize with Grace who was played to perfection by Jennifer Aniston. Unlike others, I really didn't have a problem with the message of faith or the ending. I knew I was going to laugh at this movie, I just wasn't expecting to be a little misty-eyed towards the end. Yeah, I'll admit it. The "sappiness" got to me. I enjoyed the Bruce & Grace couple and Carrey's performance of "God-like" powers. Not as good as "Me, Myself & Irene" or "Dumb and Dumber" (IMO), but nothing Carrey and director Tom Shadyac should be ashamed of. It was b-e-a-utiful!!

8 out of 10.

[dxwwf3]

This is (IMO) the perfect hybrid Carrey film. Has the humor that rivals Ace and The Mask (sorry I don't think Dumb and Dumber will ever be topped :D ) and has the heart of The Majestic and The Truman Show. This is my ultimate feel good movie. And it's also great to see a film with a positive Christian message. Sure it's nowhere near a "Christian" film (so anyone can enjoy) but I honestly believe that it could make some people rethink their life. I can't wait for the DVD.

[Clarkey07]

THE GOOD: Jim Carrey was his usual hiliarious self and the movie was enjoyable.

THE BAD: Jennifer Aniston wasn't that good. The story wasn't anything special, especially the love story between Bruce and Grace.

OVERALL: I did enjoy the movie and gave it a solid 7/10.

[sleekproductions]

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0315327/K2449-6.jpg


When I was younger, I always enjoyed going to the movies. I of course, did not have the serious interest I had now, but I would go as often as possible. Whenever a Jim Carrey movie came out, however, I became immediately excited, and I counted the days until its released. I loved this guy, and I still do. So naturally, when I found out he is making his return to silly comedy, I was excited. And let me tell you... it was for good reason. Bruce Almighty is a hilarious, fun, sweet comedy, with a good romantic subplot and lots of messages.

Jim Carrey was great as Bruce Nolan. Of course, it really didn't take much for him to be this funny... as I've always said Jim Carrey is one of the best entertainers of this, or any time. (IMO, of course).

Jennifer Aniston is good as Grace. She brings the charm and sweetness from her character of Rachel on friends, and she also shows a bit of dramatic chops.

Morgan Freeman is perfect as G-D. He is funny, charming, and commanding. This was great casting.

Overall, this is a great comedy. The script works very well, leaving room for its starts (Jim Carrey mainly) to go wild, and brining out hilarious situations (the meteor - CLASSIC!). Surprisingly also, the special effects are quite good. This is definately the best straightfoward comedy so far this year, and studios will be hard-pressed to release something better - especiall if it isn't starring Jim Carrey.

Using my new rating system: 8.5/10

P.S.: I can't wait for Eternal Sunshines of the Spotless Mind!

[jeo4]

I'm still laughing about BRUCE ALMIGHTY a day later. The one thing that got me to thinking was that this could be anybody. We all have bad days, or even complain about the way our lives are going. The best part of this film is that God was never forced down anyone's throat. It was God handing the ball to a human and letting him run with it. And the free will rule was perfect because it showed that Bruce never had total control. Let's recap. (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!)

The Good:

1. Jim Carrey just runs with any story and makes it his own. And the schtick never gets old or forced. Discovery of his new powers gave way to more elaborate tricks, from parting the red soup to changing his ride into an exotic rod. Maybe that's my glitch. I never get tired of his style, no matter how far over the top he goes.

2. The perfect balance to Carrey's bitchy mortal was Morgan Freeman as the ever-collected God. He seemed genuinely amused with Bruce's behavior, and he never seemed to get tired of it. Somebody has to say it: God was the perfect straight man.

3. No matter what any critic might say, I thought the plot was dead on. Every time Bruce answered prayers without thinking, there was a consequence to his action. When he did something to make himself look better, he looked like a heel. Sounds about right to me.


The bad:

1. Jennifer Aniston was rather underutilized in this film. She was more a victim in this film. She had some good lines in the beginning, but then she seemed brushed aside. In all fairness, this could have been the intent ot the writing, to show the side effects of being too self-involved. I just thought she could have done more in the story. It was a real distraction for me. I kept expecting more.

2. I loved the outtakes, but there weren't enough (IMO).

Overall, I'd say this film was worth the six bucks. I'm giving it a 7.5 out of 10. If you enjoyed LIAR LIAR, ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE and DUMB AND DUMBER, then this is the comedy for you.

[SummerTime7665]

First off, I LOVE Jim Carrey. Seriously, I love him. When I was a little girl, I watched "Ace Ventura", "The Mask", "Liar Liar" and "Dumb and Dumber" religiously. I once told my mom that I wished I had a dad like him. What I'm trying to say is that my opinion may obviously differ from someone's who does not like Jim Carrey. Just a note. Anyways...on with the review!

PLOT: Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is unhappy with his life. His job goes nowhere and his luck is horrible. He constantly complains to God (Morgan Freeman), until He gets fed up with his whining and gives him all of his powers. Bruce finally has "got the power" to make the changes in his life and to right the tension between him and his girlfriend, Grace (Jennifer Anniston).

ACTING: This movie IS Jim Carrey. From the first frame of the movie, I was laughing and even when it wasn't particularly funny, I watched with a serene smile on my face. Jim Carrey has every kind of comedy down--subtle, angry, physical, slapstick, facial, etc.--and he owns the movie. His one liners are brilliant and his face (which must be made of clay or something!) moves in hilarious ways! He also has a sort of an everyman appeal to him. I could relate to him. Jennifer Anniston is sweet and natural on the big screen. She also had a few funny one-liners. ("Gosh, I swear, one day that kid is going to poop an ornament!") Many people are saying that she doesn't have any chemistry with Carrey, but I disagree. I felt like their relationship had a certain comfort level to it. Watching them, I felt like they'd known each other forever. Just because they're not all romantic-comedyish doesn't mean that they don't have chemistry. Morgan Freeman as God was genius casting. He's exactly how I'd picture God. He's calm, intelligent and has that certain twinkle in his eyes, which makes me think he really could be running all our lives. Good casting in this movie!

***MAY CONTAIN MILD SPOILERS***
REVIEW: I adored this movie from start to finish. Was there anything I didn't like? Well, sure. First of all, I have to agree with JoBlo in saying that the B-E-A-utiful line was incredibly annoying and not at all funny, not even the first time. Also, while the chemistry between Anniston and Carrey is unforced and sweet, I felt that the whole Bruce cheating on her with the pointless, extraneous character was stupid and didn't fit in with the rest of the movie. The whole part where he tried to get her back with all that stuff was funny, but the whole sort of suicide thing was weird. I don't know. Some of the stuff in the last 1/3 of the movie kind of didn't fit with the first 2/3 laugh-a-minute pace. As for what I like, which is far more than what I didn't like, this movie was friggin hilarious. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. How can u not laugh when Jim Carrey is running in slo-mo with a giant pitcher of lemonade and is splashing it all over kids. The whole cookie thing was funny. The dog potty training was hilarious, and something I could relate to. The parting of the tomato soup was funny and a certain "anal dwelling butt-monkey (yes, you heard me) was particularly funny. My absolute favorite part involved Bruce putting words into his nemisis' mouth. He makes him say things like "My tiny little nipples went to France" and "I do the cha cha like a little sissy girl". Then he proceeds to make him make funny faces and talk in a high voice. I was seriously crying. It killed me. Carrey also invents a new way to flick someone else off and there is a lovely scene involving a room covered entirely in post-it's. There are so many great scenes that'll have people laughing long after they leave. Jim Carrey has not lost his touch and he is still the man! I could watch him all day! I've already seen the movie 2 times and I wouldn't mind seeing it again. It has a nice message about appreciating what you already have in your life and about how God gives you the tools and you have to build a good life yourself. This movie is overall, one of the better movies I've seen this year. It's really good. It's GOOD!!! (Inside joke from the movie.)

9/10

[MickeyMoose15]

Released May 23rd, 2003

Director: Tom Shadyac

Starring: Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston, Philip Baker Hall, Catherine Bell, Lisa Ann Walter, Steve Carell, Nora Dunn

Premise: Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, a "human interest" television reporter in Buffalo, New York who is discontented with almost everything in life, despite his popularity and the love of his girlfriend Grace (Aniston). At the end of the worst day in his life, Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God -- and God responds. He appears in human form (Freeman) and, endowing Bruce with all of His divine powers, challenges Bruce to take on the big job and see if he can do it any better!

It is amazing knowing that Jim Carey has not had a new comedy, intended for the young adult crowd, in about three years. The man who was once declared a king of comedy seems to go through a bit of a dry spot in his career. Me, Myself & Irene was not the big hit everybody expected it to be especially from the directors of There's Something About Mary while his dramatic performance in The Majestic was critically hailed but the film itself was a big flop at the box office. Though he had his failures in the past four years, Carrey found success in the family hit, The Grinch. Now after some time off, Carrey returns to the comedy scene looking in top form. This time around he takes on the role of a man who thinks he can do a better job at being God then the big man himself. The question is, though, will this film do a better job then Carrey's previous misses or will his trend of failure continue?

The story goes that a man named Bruce Nolan is miserable and unhappy with his life. Granted, yes, he does look to have a pretty average life with a beautiful girlfriend, a good apartment and a steady job but he is going nowhere in his life. As a human interest story reporter, Bruce is passed on promotion after promotion which are given to people that flaunt it in his face. And whenever he tries to do something nice for somebody, like helping a homeless man on the street, bad things happen because of it. Continuous bad luck drives Bruce to the breaking point and he calls upon God himself. He shouts that God is not doing his job and claims he could do a better. Hearing his shouts, he gives Bruce the opportunity almost anybody would love to have: To be God and have all his powers. There are just two rules that come with this power: First, Bruce can't tell anybody he is God, and second, he can't affect a person's free will. Will Bruce help the poor and unfortunate? Sure, after he straightens his life out first, which could take awhile. The story of Bruce Almighty is pretty good though it is not completely perfect. The film does tend to slow down quite a bit in parts of the film which can be a problem for the overall effect.

The cast of Bruce Almighty is pretty good for the most part. Jim Carrey is once again in top form as the lead character in the film. Carrey's dramatic emotions like he used in films like The Majestic actually come into use in parts of the film when serious issues are dealt with. The fact that Carrey can be so fun and then change unnoticeably into a serious state makes him an outstanding actor that is rarely seen in comedy today. Morgan Freeman is the perfect fit as God. Freeman, who has appeared in such dramatic films as Deep Impact and The Sum of All Fears, has rarely been seen in a comedy especially with the likes of Jim Carrey but he pulls the role off perfectly. Freeman's comic timing is so perfect that you wouldn't believe that he hasn't performed in many comedies. Hopefully the film's success will give him more reason to test the genre. The only real problem with the cast would be Jennifer Aniston. Granted she does look pretty in the film and presents some emotion in the film, she really does not show any exceptional acting talent. For most of the film either she is crying or showing no emotion what-so-ever. She really doesn't present something to the character that the audience hasn't seen before or different from her character on Friends. Perhaps she should just stick with roles like The Good Girl, which was a critical success for her, because her comedic acting is not anything to laugh at.

Overall, Bruce Almighty is another good comedic popcorn flick but nothing extraordinary. There are too many small problems that plague the film to give it huge approval. The story is good but like it was said earlier, it is not spectacular. There are many funny elements within the course of the film but the story strays into too many moments where it just falls flat while the audience waits for the next hilarious moment to appear. While talking on the subject of jokes, when is Carrey going to get off the fart and potty humor to get laughs. There are a lot of moments where he uses witty lines and such to make the audience laugh but then later in the film strays into making fart noises interrupting a news anchor. Another problem with the plot of the film is that when it does go to the serious moments, it becomes way too sappy and pushes away a lot of the audience that just came for the comedy. If you have seen any romantic comedy before this film, you basically know how it ends. Most of the film is too predictable which sort of hurts it. Not to say the film is not funny. Jim Carrey saves the day for most of the film while Morgan Freeman helps with his rarely seen comedic whit. Bruce Almighty doesn't even come close to The Matrix Reloaded but does give some laughs for those too young to see the big hit sequel.

My Rating: **** out of 5 (Grade: B)

[DieHardBruceFan]

I am a big Jim Carrey fan and I really liked this flick. I laughed the entire way through. This isn't Carrey's best, but it is far from being his worst. BRUCE is gives you 95 minutes of escapism and several laugh-out-loud moments. A "gooooooood" summertime comedy.

Grade: B-

[bigred760]

An absolutely hilarious movie that tries to pawn off on audiences a deeper meaning of true love, religion, self-awareness and some other crap that is basically unnecessary.

Yes, Jim Carrey still has it. He's back and is better than ever in Bruce Almighty. His character is "embedded" in the TV business and since so am I, I think I laughed just a little bit harder. He (along with some special FX) gets God's powers and of course uses it to his advantage as much as possible. From him coordinating dress codes, anchor adlibbing (Steve Carrell(?) is as funny as Carrey in his limited presence), and his girlfriend's wonder bra - it seems that Carrey is having the time of his life. It's cool that he lets us along for the ride.

Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston, the afore mentioned Steve Carell, and the hotter-than-hell Catherine Bell provide for a good supporting cast. It's good to see Morgan Freeman do something a little different - like a comedy. He did send some laughs my way every now and then.

But, alas, the movie gets weighed down a bit by the fact that it tries to teach the audience a lesson. One in which atheists probably will get pissed at. The whole using God's powers to his advantage: just think predictability and you can pretty much take it from there. I didn't mind it too much basically because I was laughing my ass off through the whole movie. The plot is decent enough to carry the movie but predictable and is one of those "been there's, done thats."

This movie is definitely as funny as Ace Ventura: PD, but Bruce Almighty goes along with its plot and life lessons more. It's still good for a great laugh which is basically why I went to see it. I'll definitely watch it again when it comes out on DVD.

7/10

[The1TrueFrog]

Bruce Almighty - 6/10.

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/universal_pictures/bruce_almighty/_group_photos/jim_carrey1.jpg

This movie was pretty good, however, I think that you really must appreciate Jim Carrey on a phenominal scale to be able to say that it's excellent. To say the least, I am happy to see him taking on comedies like this as opposed to such endeavors as The Truman Show and The Majestic, where he just doesn't seem to fit the parts.

There were quite a few laugh-out-loud scenes, of which most were given away in the trailer -- favorites being the live scene at the beginning where he bitches out his rival anchorman on television, the 7-finger gag, and the "you have prayers" internet sequence. Jim Carrey's character was done pretty good, while Morgan Freeman probably had the best part (playing God, are we Freeman?) .. and whoever the hell played the asshole reporter and assitant were pretty funny.

I had a few problems with the movie thoguh. Jennifer Aniston's character didn't have much gusto (did anything really interest her other than making photo albums?) .. I also. think the dog on the toilet thing, though pretty funny, was overused. Jim Carrey also said the b-e-a-utiful line one too many times (sorry, Jim, need a little touch-up on your would be catch-phrases). I also didn't care much for the homeless guy holding up all the badly-spelled signs, apparently turning out to be God in a human form.

In all, it's a harmless little comedy that could probably wait for video, with a few more funnies than dummies. Nice teamwork for Carrey and Freeman!

[MovieMan75]

Well, Jim Carrey's back at what he does best...too bad the film isn't the best, though. First off, the plot of the film is great. This was a great, promising storyline. There are a lot of chuckles and laughs throughout the film, but unfortunately, not enough bust-a-gut laugh-out-loud uproarious scenes, which other Carrey movies have plenty of. Also, Carrey didn't have great chemistry on screen with Jennifer Aniston the way he's had chemistry on scene with other actresses. Sure, the love story was hokey, but the message in the movie was actually quite decent. It raises some ol' theological debates, and it actually had me thinking a little bit. And I loved Morgan Freeman as God. That was just a perfect casting job. So while this wasn't Carrey's best comedic performance to date (I wanted more outrageous "Ace Ventura or Lloyd Christmas" type humor), it definitely wasn't a disgusting display of non-stop fart jokes and curse words like way too many other comedies these days. It's just great to see Carrey back at his roots and this was in no way a bad way to kill a couple hours. Go see it on a rainy day.

My Rating: 6/10

Other Carrey Comedy Grades:
Me, Myself, and Irene: 7/10
Liar, Liar: 7/10
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective: 7/10
The Mask: 8/10
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls: 8/10
Dumb & Dumber: 9/10

[Nate6]

Bruce Almighty is a wacky, sentimental screwball comedy of the kind we haven't seen in a while. It's great, great entertainment.

Bruce Almighty involves an idea I'm sure we've all thought about at one time or another: what would we do if we were God? That said, the film plays the concept out very, very well. It examines the hilarities and consequences of being the Supreme Being, from getting revenge on your coworkers to more personal problems. People have complained about the sentimentality of the film. But, by golly, it worked for me. This is what a lot of 1930s-1940s comedies of the same ilk were like, they were funny and poignant all the same time. And the movie is about being God, you can't expect it to be chock-full of laughs.

The performances were spot-on here. Comic genius Jim Carrey is back to his usual self as the screwed-over Everyman, but thanks to his recent dramatic performances he's able to add a new level of maturity to the part, and it all works perfectly. Morgan Freeman plays God to the hilt and there wasn't a second in this film that he wasn't spot-on perfect. He reminds me of Jeff Bridges' President Evans in The Contender here, as someone who is light and comic, but always the smartest and wisest person in the room. Jennifer Aniston is very good here, especially near the end. Steve Carell was a scream as Bruce's jackass rival Evan Baxter. The scene in which Bruce makes him say and do stupid things live on the air was the funniest moment in any comedy in quite a long time. I love Catherine Bell, she was a little underused here but great and sexy in her scenes nonetheless.

The visual effects were good, the writing funny but sentimental, well-balanced and smart. The direction was confident (and I usually dislike Tom Shadyac greatly; he's made some stinkers).

So, this movie was a welcome return to old-style comedy, funny but also very examining of our actions and consequences. It's not perfect, of course, but great fun. I have to agree with dh1989 here. Cherish this movie, rarely do they come out like this one.

8.5/10

[movies35]

I walked into a 6:50pm showing of Bruce Almighty, and I was expecting comedy heaven, what I got was a steaming pile of crap.

The Acting- Jim Carrey did an okay job as Bruce, but be honest... am I the only one that found him un-funny in almost all of his movies? I mean he does the same thing in everyone of him comedy movies! It gets old... very fast. Jennifer Anisten was great in it. She was very funny, and I loved her. "I feel my boobs are bigger!" She also was quite sad in it, she almost made me shed a tear. Morgan Freeman was great, since he was only in all but 15 minutes of the movie. And that woman from The Parent Trap (I forget her name) was great. Even though she was very funny in The Parent Trap, she was great in this also.

The Script- This had everything going for it. The premise was great, but I just don't think the script was very funny. The whole Niagra Falls thing was a little funny.

Overall- A bad movie that I don't think I want to sit through again. I would much rather of seen Wrong Turn (8/10) again.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY 5/10

[Puck Bond]

Bruce Almighty is a funny, well-meaning comedy and an overall good time at the movies. This film sees Jim Carrey return to form with his manic and physical comedy that has made him so famous over the years. Talk with your ass...that's what the people want to see! Actually the much maligned and highly underrated film The Majestic(2001)-10/10 a film that I loved people didn't go to see, eventhough Carrey's performance was praised by critics. The public wanted him to return to comedy where he twists his face into different forms, and throws his body against walls. In this Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, a Buffalo news station reporter who is looked down on as a joke by his fellow colleagues. He is the special interest story guy...like covering the story of a mom and pop bakery that has created the World's largest cookie. Bruce strives for higher places and more credibility as a journalist. His dreams of becoming the station's news anchor after the resident, tennured senior retires get dashed when the position is given to his more respected nemesis Evan. Things turn worse when Bruce goes of on a hilariious tirade, while doing a story in front of the Niagara Falls and gets fired from his job. "Back to you fuckers!" Friends star Jennifer Aniston plays Grace, Bruces mousy girlfriend...I'm not a fan of Anniston and never will be...she really doesn't add anything to this movie, but just fills her role adequately enough. The star is Carrey and he carry's the show. As Bruce's life falls apart he complains to God that he isn't doing his job and is picking on him. Up pops the great Morgan Freeman(in a great piece of casting) as God...a powerful presence enough to be convincing as the creator, yet sly and sarcastic enough to be a funny and endearing. God has to have a sense of humor right! Anyway God bestows all his powers onto Bruce to see if Bruce can handle the responsibilities and awesome power that comes along with the job. Naturally Bruce uses his newfound powers to his advantage to turn his life around, to game fame and fortune etc etc. and you can figure out the rest from there...and the obvious moral messages that go along with this story. As I said the star is Carrey...and the guy is flat out funny, he just is. I pretty much laughed, chuckled or had a smile on my face the entire way through this movie. At certain points I laughed so hard...tears ran down my face. As I mentioned Bruce's tirade on TV, a hilarious encounter with Latino hoods which involves some "monkey business" and the funniest scene when Bruce sabotages Evan while he does the news! Great other things include Bruce using his powers to spice up his dull and silly stories...that are just so fun and cool to see! Overall, Bruce Almighty is a wonderful, funny and feel-good comedy for the summer...if you just want to have a good laugh for a couple hours this is the movie to see. Jim Carrey is great in the title role, a guy who just has a rare gift to make you laugh...yet he has an almost Jimmy Stewart/Tom Hanks everyman quality to him that makes him likeable. Morgan Freeman is wonderfully charming as God and Jennifer Anniston is decent enough also.

[moviemuffin]

Bruce Almighty Review
©reel-reviews.net
Rated PG 13 Running time 101 minutes

Starring: Jim Carrey, Jennifer Anniston, Morgan Freeman, Catherine Bell,
Lisa Ann Walter, Philip Baker Hall, Steven Carrell
Directed by Tom Shadyac


I genuinely expected to walk into Bruce Almighty having already seen its best moments in the trailer. I can honestly say that the best laughs waited for me on the screen, and although Bruce Almighty is not haute cineme for the snobbishly inclined, it is pretty darn funny.

Jim Carrey, who is a very funny man, but who also has a tendency to become almost oppressive in his relentless lack of control, tones it down in this one. Director Tom Shadyac may have been slipping him sedatives; or maybe Carrey really has grown. Whichever the case may be, this movie was a vast improvement over previous comedies by Carrey. My greatest fear was that it would descend into slightly dirty sexuality, and/or over-the-top wackiness. Neither happened, and the whole package works.

Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, a likeable but self involved newsman who is vying for the top position as anchor. He lives with his sweet and supportive girlfriend Grace, played here by Jennifer Anniston, and has earned the reputation as "funny guy" on the job, covering the silly personal interest stuff that is most often cut unless it's a slow news day. When he is passed over for the job he has a meltdown on camera during a live feed and gets fired. Fed up, feeling supremely sorry for himself, and at the end of his emotional rope, he rails against God in a childish tirade of self indulgence. God decides to answer.

The movie borrows heavily from Oh God, the 1977 movie starring George Burns and John Denver, and this story has been done. But Bruce Almighty has a subtle undercurrent of spirituality that never becomes preachy. It neither endorses nor dismisses prayer, but handles it with a delicate respect that was, for me at least, surprising. There are a few light touches, such as a false idol that appears, but remains uncommented-upon, and a water-into-wine gag that is not overplayed. My favorite delicate touch? God's email provider isn't Yahoo, although the logo is suspiciously familiar. It's Yaweh.

Jennifer Anniston is very sweet as Grace, and although I think she is capable of much more I also have to say that she worked perfectly with Carrey, which is no easy job. Few actresses can provide the sweet serenity necessary to allow him his range without being swallowed up completely and lost. Her performance, as always, hangs from her amazingly expressive eyes and subtle deliveries. Anniston knows how to be funny, but she also knows something more important: when to sit still and frame the funny guy. As a result we care about her character enough to genuinely believe some of the later scenes, which I won't give away, where she helps turn the plot on its proper course.

Carrey, again, is just terrific as Bruce. He gives us some of the physical comedy he does so well, but it's carefully measured. His selfishness is never overdone, so we maintain sympathy with the character. He seems to genuinely learn, and that's a refreshing message in a comedy that's drawing large teen audiences. This is one you can encourage your kids to see. The message is neither religiously specific nor particularly preachy, but it is uplifting and genuine.

I liked this film. I thought it made clever choices, such as putting Bruce in charge of only one section of Buffalo rather than the universe in entirety during his stint as God... a subtle, yet very smart distinction. There are a pair of scenes with some strong language, but I felt both were harmless for kids. Surprisingly sweet and endearing, funny without ever becoming cheap or stupid, Bruce Almighty is a real feel-good movie that is fit for just about everyone.

[MisterTwister]

It started off funny but then stank into the serious side. It could of been funnier and better. 6/10

[phatfreddy]

It's been a long time since Jim Carrey has done a goofy comedy. And when I saw the preview to Bruce Almighty, I was anticipating its release. Plus it was directed by Tom Shadyac, same director of Ace Ventura, and Liar Liar. So I was thinking it was gonna be a hilarious flick.

Plot: Bruce (Jim Carrey) is fed up with how his life is going. Problems after problems begin to hit him like a ton of bricks. Instead of blaming himself he blames his Maker; God. For all the grief he has caused him. So God gives his almighty powers to Bruce for a week, to see if he can do any better.

No matter what kind of movie Jim Carrey is in, i just can't help but laugh at him. He's a comical genius. The first half of this story is exactly the kind of things you expect from a Jim Carrey movie. When he gets his powers from God, he goes on a huge power trip and the end results are hilarious.

Jennifer Aniston plays Bruce's girlfriend in the movie. She's passionate, supportive, and gorgeous. Everything you'd want from a girlfriend. I didn't really see anything special in Aniston's character. It's like they took her character, Rachel from 'Friends' and just wrote her into the script. She did have some funny moments though. Especially the love making scene between her and Carrey.

Morgan Freeman plays the Man himself. There is some kind of omnipotent presence when you watch Freeman in movies. And I guess that is why they chose him to play God. I liked Morgan Freeman in this movie. He was pretty funny which is hard to say since he doesn't do many comedies.

Pity to say though; the last half of this movie was not to my liking. Because it stopped becoming a comedy and it turned into a romantic movie. I have nothing against romantic movies, I think some of them are great. But the previews made you think it was gonna be a hilarious movie throughout. Not just in the first half.

The second half turned to serious and the entire theatre was completely silent, except for a few light chuckles here and there. I understand the director was trying to make a point. That with great power comes great responsablilty. (Classic Spider Man quote) and that you don't realize what you have until it's gone. But they still could have done it with some comedic wit. Especially when you have Jim Carrey 'the king of improv' in your movie.

Since the first half was completely enjoyable, and the last half was I hate to say, lacking in the comedy department. I'd have to give Bruce Almighty 5/10

[IndianaJ]

Bruce Almighty 6.5/10

There are some really funny moments in this movie that have your eyes watering, the only problem is you have to wait a while in between them. On analysis everything in the film, is good, Carey is good, Morgan Freeman is good, Jennifer Anniston is good, (although a little under used) Everything is good, just not excellent, a few more gags and a little less 'happy ever afters' and perhaps this could have contested ace Ventura and dumb and dumber.

In short Carey fans will be happy but not running back for a second ticket

[coldfryz]

When I heard that Jim Carrey was going to have God's powers, I nknew I had to see thid movie, but I was very disappointed by the horrible story and the lack of chemistry between Aniston and Carrey. With this concept, it should have been one of the funniest comedies since Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but sadly it was most likely one of the worst. The story played too much toward the chick flick category than the comedy and I defimitely don't recommend this movie to anyone, except maybe die hard fans of Jim Carrey.

4/10

[Genghis Khan]

I thought this was a great movie. Some real good scenes, laugh-so-hard-you-can't-breath scenes, and a good story. There were some slow scenes but I think the comedy scenes made up for that. :D

[movieguy1021]

Bruce Almighty: 6/10


Bruce Almighty has more continuity errors than an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. Most have to do with the ending, so I won’t spoil them, although I’ll guess that you will be able to tell what the ending will be. It has its moments, some very good ones at that, but it can’t seem to get over its cocky tones. It seems like a vehicle to get Jim Carrey back on target, teamed up with director Tom Shadyac again (Ace Ventura, Liar Liar), and an easy $100 million or so for Universal, and a possibility for a sequel.

Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past two months knows the plot: man revolts against God; man gets God’s powers. That man is Bruce Nolan (Carrey), angry that the anchor position at his news station didn’t go to him. He’s just a lowly reporter who has to get into ridiculous outfits. After he curses God once too often, God Himself (Morgan Freeman) turns up and gives Bruce the chance to have His powers, to see if Bruce can do it better. At first, Bruce uses them to his advantage, but must learn to cope with them.

Jim Carrey can be funny when he wants to be, and he can also be a good actor when he wants to be. He returns to his mid-90’s slapstick, while incorporating his acting from The Truman Show, and, dare I say it, The Majestic? Although the humor isn’t as broad as his earlier work, and the acting isn’t as strong, there’s still good doses of both. There’s as much crude humor as one-liners.

However, Bruce Almighty can’t keep away from the clichés. Bruce can’t climb up the ladder, his pretty girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston) is a kind preschool teacher, his coworkers are mean, et cetera. If that wasn’t bad enough, it also tries to be another “classic” Carrey movie. There’s a new “catchphrase” (B-E-A-utiful, which it REALLY stupid), and there’s symbolism and meaningful characters and objects that just keep on popping in for no reason, like the prayer bracelet and the bum.

Something that always strikes me as odd is all of the complaints against the film. It seems that movies like The Last Temptation of Christ, Dogma, and now Bruce Almighty have Christians boycotting the film for “mocking God.” As the saying goes, God has a sense of humor, look at the platypus. It’s just extra marketing and publicity.

It had some pretty funny scenes, and at times the laughs were pretty big. I don’t, however, understand why the audience was cracking up at the “seven fingers” joke (it’s just like “You’ve got me straight trippin’, boo,” from Bringing Down the House). I thought that most scenes were funny, except for the last quarter, when the laughs slowed dramatically. Also, I thought that the cinematography was surprisingly good for a slob comedy like this. It worked best when Bruce was “parting the Red Sea.”

Could Jim Carrey be coming back to what made him famous? Could Morgan Freeman be billed higher for being in about three scenes? Will Jennifer Aniston ever be cast in a role other than the “cute girlfriend”? We may find out as Universal will probably release Bruce Almighty 2: Heavens Above!

[Sugar_Kane]

Bruce Almighty is an entertaining film with some very funny moments, "Back to you, fuckers!" Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman were good in their roles but Jennifer Aniston was annoying at times and I didn't really care about her character. This film had a good story however, there are some slow scenes. I think Jim Carrey fans would really like this film as he is very funny in it and I also recommend it for entertainment.

7/10

[Cronos]

i really enjoyed it despite some of the best scenes being in the trailer, it was still very funny, great performances, good script, cgi and some great sets.

i especially liked Freeman's performace and thought he did very well in his rols

another fun film by Carrey

7/10

[Mike]

BRUCE ALMIGHTY (2003)

A mostly unfunny and annoying comedy. I didn't think it looked very funny from the previews, but thought it would at least be amusing, and figured I would like it a good deal more than I did. Only one scene made me laugh though. Jim Carrey gave another annoyingly over-the-top performance. I still don't see how acting like he does can be hilarious to some people. It just annoys me.

The little highlight of this movie is Jennifer Aniston. She was cute, as usual, and easy on the eyes. Without her, or some other likable actress in the role, the movie probably would have been even worse. I will never know how so many people could find this movie good enough to bring it well over $200 Million at the Box Office.

Grade: 5/10 (C)

[Tweek]

I loved this movie!

So freakin hilarious. 9/10.

Morgan Freeman was NOT miscast.;) Jennifer Aniston, I coulda done without. Really, she was the least funny part of the movie, besides the female anchor.
Carrey was hilarious, as usual. (He has got the best Clint Eastwood I've ever heard. From Hank in Me, Myself, and Irene- where he was channeling clint to this)

[Psyco Chick18]

Once again, Jim Carrey proves that he is one of the funniest men alive! I really enjoyed this movie, the part where that guy is talking gibberish because Bruce is making him do it, had me laughing so hard i almost did piss in my pants.

The ending could have been a little better, but the movie is still good. I, personally, think that this is one of Jim's best movies and i give it a 9/10

[gspawn]

The Good: Morgan Freeman, Aniston, and (that guy fom the Daily show?) are all top-notch. The gags are decently funny and it's a good time overall. Freeman especially shines as God. The movie may have been better with a weaker lead and Freeman playing the main character in all this. He is perfect in his part.

The Bad: Carey just doesn't play the lead here. His strong points aren't used enough, and his weak points abound in this film. B-E-A-utiful (B-E- better with new catch phrases? perhaps?). The religious overtones were played too harshly as well... I was squirming in my seat as I wondered what Disney after-school special writer had supplied some scenes. I'm surprised there weren't rumors of Carey going religious with the all-too-serious content. 'Why God?' is a phrase Carey should never scream unless there's a large blunt object and some Ace Ventura involved.

Overall: If you like Carey and you have nothing better to do, see this movie. It's not disappointing per so, and there are a few good laughs. The "sex" scene may also work with the ladies. Otherwise, there's just not much of interest.

[willem84]

Okay. This movie had no surprises, had some pretty one/two-dimensional characters and was full of cliches in a script the dialogue seemed to ....come out of my mouth before theirs (hince I knew what they were going to say before it was even said).

I barely even chuckled. Then again, I rarely laugh. I laugh at stupid dry humor that no one finds funny or intellegent humor that no one else gets.

I knew this movie was going to be bad and wouldn't even have watched it, if not for my parents renting it. Alls I have to say is: "Hopefully, Carrey will redeem himself with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" bc I like to file this one under the Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls bin. Oh yeah. It's that BAD!

4/10

[REAL_XYZ]

If you saw the previews of this movie, you've seen the best scenes. Many times I thought, "I might be laughing right now if I didn't already see the trailer for this movie."

Jim, please take Eddie Murphy by the hand and jump off a very tall building. Your movies aren't funny any more.

Morgan Freeman was the best part of the movie. He did a very fine job. However, Jim Carey and Jennifer Aniston seemed to be simply collecting a paycheck. The remainder of the cast was quickly forgettable.

The concept of the movie was good, but the script did not produce the desired results.

I say....5/10.