2003, PG-13, 101 minutes

Jim Carrey has finally returned to his roots. He started it with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and also turned up movies like Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, and Me, Myself and Irene; but it's been about three years since Carrey has done this kind of movie. It's a welcome return - well, kinda.

Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, an unsuccessful reporter who lives a mediocre life with his girlfriend of five years, Grace (Jennifer Aniston). After a failed attempt to get an anchor position on his local news program, he starts to blame God for how He is making his life miserable. God ends up paging Bruce and tells him to go to a warehouse. There, he meets God (Morgan Freeman) who says he's going on vacation and has decided to leave all his powers to Bruce for one week, along with all of the responsibilities. So, with great power comes great respons... whoops, wrong movie! But it's pretty much the same idea.

For about 2/3 of Bruce Almighty, it's a funny, although unexceptional comedy. There aren't a whole lot of belly laughs, but I did enjoy myself. After that, the movie really takes a nosedive by trying to be a tear-jerker, in an unsuccessful attempt at trying to convey the message of helping others. There are lines such as, "Don't make a miracle, BE the miracle!" Director Tom Shadyac really should've learned from the critical failure of Patch Adams and not taken this movie to the same dead-end route.

Jim Carrey, of couse, is good, and is the main the reason to watch this movie. With a less accomplished actor, it really could've been a disaster. Even during the horrible last third, I still liked watching Carrey. Less successful is the beautiful Jennifer Aniston, who is wasted and unmemorable; I know she is much better than the material gives her credit for. Morgan Freeman, a long-time favorite of mine, is just here for a paycheck, but he seems to be enjoying himself.

Bruce Almighty is entertaining stuff for the most part, but the last third really drags it down. I'd wait for the DVD so the "this is the part where you're supposed to cry" scenes can easily be skipped or at least muted.