Bruce Almighty (2003)

Pretty much a wreck from the get-go -- Jim Carrey is in 'wacky' mode again, except that this time around it's painfully studied and reeks of flopsweat. There's no spark of inspiration, no sense of the unexpected that shows up even in his worst films. It's like Carrey is saying, "Here, is this what you want? Me jumping around and acting like a jackass? Choke on it, you fuckers." Still manages a couple funny moments early on -- the "Clint Eastwood" bit is priceless -- but once the pathetic attempts at drama kick in around the forty-five minute mark, I was ready to jump ship. Unexpected Echo Dept.: One of the messages of the film is that it's okay to just be a funny guy, which certainly has relevance to Carrey's career. But Jesus, didn't anyone working on this film have the good sense to mention that Sullivan's Travels covered that idea about as perfectly as it could ever be done?

Grade: C-