Day of the 'Dog: "Evan Almighty"

After Bruce Almighty, I wasn't expecting too much out of today's dog - the sorta-sequel of director Tom Shadyac, Evan Almighty. But Evan is a pleasant surprise from start to finish.

While rubber-faced Jim Carrey is the total center of attention in Bruce, Evan has a score of notable actors all bringing their own brand of comedy into the mix: Steve Carell, Jonah Hill, and even Wanda Sykes (who I usually find rather annoying, but who's quite funny as Evan's no-holds-barred secretary).

Why it deserves dog status: Evan received a 5.6 star rating compared to Bruce's 6.5, and sports only half of the reviews (granted, Bruce is older). This is likely due to either people who automatically declare that they don't like Carell, or because they still had a bland taste in their mouths after Bruce.

Yet Evan has far more depth than Bruce, bringing up more religious and philosophical ideas rather than the blaming God mantra of Bruce. And speaking of God, Morgan Freeman's character in Evan is much more three dimensional, coming across less as a pedantic deity trying to get his point across and more as a warm and caring God.

Let's not forget the fact that the film is both hilarious and filled with clever symbolism without having one of those close-up "here's the morale of the story" moments that I can't stomach. The chemistry between both Carell and his family as well as his "crew" at the office proves entirely believable, and keeps the story moving along without any "good time to hit the bathroom" moments, either.

If you've not seen Evan because you - like me - think Bruce is pretty mediocre, give it a fair shake and I think you'll be far more entertained and feel much better about Evan, despite the reviews.