This modern telling of the story of Noah simply falls flat and if I were one of the animals, I’d ask for a bigger boat...
Audio:
Universal eschews Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound once again with a top-tier release and "Evan Almighty" is shipped with a Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 multi-channel surround mix as its best ambassador to the ears. English and French are the supported languages in this format, but an English DVS Dolby Digital 2.0 transfer is also included for those with visual impairments. I have a blind brother, so these inclusions are appreciated. The Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack sounds pretty good and comes to life during the bird flock segments and other animal-heavy scenes. When the Ark finally sets sail, the soundtrack comes fully to life and the .1 LFE channel works a little magic, but it is silent for much of the remainder of the film. Rear surrounds are utilized during much of the film and they are typically inhabited by either animals or the ambient sounds of Congress. Movement is clean across channels and dialogue is quite strong. For a comedy, "Evan Almighty" is a solid effort in the sound department.
Extras:
Ignoring the fact this is a higher-priced Combo Format release, "Evan Almighty" has a number of additional features that make this an attractive release. Many of the bonus materials are HD-DVD exclusive and Universal continues to push the technology. Their U-Control feature has three options for "Evan Almighty." The Picture-in-Picture video feature has a lot of making-of moments and talking heads interviews throughout the entire film and this feature works very nicely, as Universal has mastered the U-Control technology. The picture-in-picture feature of the U-Control was easily the best supplement of the release. The Ark Building for Dummies provides graphical pop-ups of the pages from the book given to Evan by God. These pages are light entertainment that is fun once around. Get on Board is an Al Gore friendly pop-up trivia track that points out many environmentally friendly suggestions. It appears that "Evan Almighty" was intended to be as much a statement about our fragile environment as it was to serve as a Sunday school sermon.
Universal has also included some Web-Based Content that makes good use of the network connection that comes standard with HD-DVD players. Most of the Downloadable Content was the same material as was available with "Heroes" and "Knocked Up." The feature also provides for more customization of Universal´s My Scenes functionality. I´ve never found much use for this feature, but it returns. What is different about the web-based content for "Evan Almighty" was the U-Shop store. This provides direct ordering of merchandise from the Internet that is directly tied or inspired by "Evan Almighty." Much of the good being sold online deal with environmental features. I didn´t buy anything, so I can´t provide any further details.
Moving to the more common features, a number of extras are provided for both the DVD release and the HD-DVD release. The Deleted Scenes (14:32) are introduced by Steve Carell and thrown together in one fifteen minute feature containing each and all of them edited as one continuous segment organized according to the film´s timeline. Outtakes (2:45) are short and sweet, but again finds Carell giving an introduction to some humorous bits from the production of the film. The Ark-itects of Noah´s Ark (6:48) looks at the production of the full-scale Ark created for the film. This was interesting to see, but a little on the short side. Becoming Noah (6:26) is a feature that looks at the hair and make-up work done for Steve Carell in the film. Steve Carell Unscripted (3:18) is the funniest you´ll see Carell during the entire DVD.
The bonus materials continue to be short, but entertaining. Animals On Set Two by Two (12:50) looks at the wild animals that were filmed for "Evan Almighty" and the work done with these trained creatures. Supposedly, "Evan Almighty" had more animals than any film previously made. This was a neat feature. The love of animals continues with the Animal Roundup Game. This was a remote based game featuring Jimmy Bennett. I suppose kids will love it. The Almighty Green Set (5:26) looked at how Tom Shadyac worked hard to make "Evan Almighty" an environmentally sound film. The enviro-friendly features continue with It´s Easy Being Green (4:39) and The Almighty Forest (5:59). Acts of Random Kindness (1:47) is short and looks at A.R.K. and the acts seen by the cast and crew. A Flood of Visual Effects (7:10) is a brief look at the visual effects contained in the film and how lions and floating arks were achieved. Finally, Animal Wrangler is an interactive menu that allows one touch access to squirrels and other furry creatures.
Closing Comments:
I enjoyed "Bruce Almighty" and thought that film was a hoot. However, without Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston, the follow-up "Evan Almighty" is a bore. Steve Carell was a supporting character in the first film and after watching this sequel, I wonder how he became a leading man in comedies. There just isn´t enough laughter in "Evan Almighty" to fill its ninety six minute length. The HD-DVD release has good picture and sound. The HD-DVD exclusive features are nice and a wide array of materials available for both the DVD and HD-DVD are worth checking out. As a release, this isn´t a bad one. Nice sight and sound and features. It is just a shame that the film included with the technical specifications just doesn´t hold up as nicely. Let us hope that "Eugene Almighty" is not in the cards.
Universal eschews Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound once again with a top-tier release and "Evan Almighty" is shipped with a Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 multi-channel surround mix as its best ambassador to the ears. English and French are the supported languages in this format, but an English DVS Dolby Digital 2.0 transfer is also included for those with visual impairments. I have a blind brother, so these inclusions are appreciated. The Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack sounds pretty good and comes to life during the bird flock segments and other animal-heavy scenes. When the Ark finally sets sail, the soundtrack comes fully to life and the .1 LFE channel works a little magic, but it is silent for much of the remainder of the film. Rear surrounds are utilized during much of the film and they are typically inhabited by either animals or the ambient sounds of Congress. Movement is clean across channels and dialogue is quite strong. For a comedy, "Evan Almighty" is a solid effort in the sound department.
Extras:
Ignoring the fact this is a higher-priced Combo Format release, "Evan Almighty" has a number of additional features that make this an attractive release. Many of the bonus materials are HD-DVD exclusive and Universal continues to push the technology. Their U-Control feature has three options for "Evan Almighty." The Picture-in-Picture video feature has a lot of making-of moments and talking heads interviews throughout the entire film and this feature works very nicely, as Universal has mastered the U-Control technology. The picture-in-picture feature of the U-Control was easily the best supplement of the release. The Ark Building for Dummies provides graphical pop-ups of the pages from the book given to Evan by God. These pages are light entertainment that is fun once around. Get on Board is an Al Gore friendly pop-up trivia track that points out many environmentally friendly suggestions. It appears that "Evan Almighty" was intended to be as much a statement about our fragile environment as it was to serve as a Sunday school sermon.
Universal has also included some Web-Based Content that makes good use of the network connection that comes standard with HD-DVD players. Most of the Downloadable Content was the same material as was available with "Heroes" and "Knocked Up." The feature also provides for more customization of Universal´s My Scenes functionality. I´ve never found much use for this feature, but it returns. What is different about the web-based content for "Evan Almighty" was the U-Shop store. This provides direct ordering of merchandise from the Internet that is directly tied or inspired by "Evan Almighty." Much of the good being sold online deal with environmental features. I didn´t buy anything, so I can´t provide any further details.
Moving to the more common features, a number of extras are provided for both the DVD release and the HD-DVD release. The Deleted Scenes (14:32) are introduced by Steve Carell and thrown together in one fifteen minute feature containing each and all of them edited as one continuous segment organized according to the film´s timeline. Outtakes (2:45) are short and sweet, but again finds Carell giving an introduction to some humorous bits from the production of the film. The Ark-itects of Noah´s Ark (6:48) looks at the production of the full-scale Ark created for the film. This was interesting to see, but a little on the short side. Becoming Noah (6:26) is a feature that looks at the hair and make-up work done for Steve Carell in the film. Steve Carell Unscripted (3:18) is the funniest you´ll see Carell during the entire DVD.
The bonus materials continue to be short, but entertaining. Animals On Set Two by Two (12:50) looks at the wild animals that were filmed for "Evan Almighty" and the work done with these trained creatures. Supposedly, "Evan Almighty" had more animals than any film previously made. This was a neat feature. The love of animals continues with the Animal Roundup Game. This was a remote based game featuring Jimmy Bennett. I suppose kids will love it. The Almighty Green Set (5:26) looked at how Tom Shadyac worked hard to make "Evan Almighty" an environmentally sound film. The enviro-friendly features continue with It´s Easy Being Green (4:39) and The Almighty Forest (5:59). Acts of Random Kindness (1:47) is short and looks at A.R.K. and the acts seen by the cast and crew. A Flood of Visual Effects (7:10) is a brief look at the visual effects contained in the film and how lions and floating arks were achieved. Finally, Animal Wrangler is an interactive menu that allows one touch access to squirrels and other furry creatures.
Closing Comments:
I enjoyed "Bruce Almighty" and thought that film was a hoot. However, without Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston, the follow-up "Evan Almighty" is a bore. Steve Carell was a supporting character in the first film and after watching this sequel, I wonder how he became a leading man in comedies. There just isn´t enough laughter in "Evan Almighty" to fill its ninety six minute length. The HD-DVD release has good picture and sound. The HD-DVD exclusive features are nice and a wide array of materials available for both the DVD and HD-DVD are worth checking out. As a release, this isn´t a bad one. Nice sight and sound and features. It is just a shame that the film included with the technical specifications just doesn´t hold up as nicely. Let us hope that "Eugene Almighty" is not in the cards.
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[release]21905[/release]