New On DVD: 'Evan Almighty,' 'Surf's Up'

'Evan Almighty' (PG): The sequel to Jim Carrey's "Bruce Almighty" finds "Bruce" co-star Steve Carell as Evan Baxter -- the bumbling newsman in the first film -- getting the divine assignment this time around. And while this film boasts strong performances by Carell and Morgan Freeman and a boatload of great visual effects, "Evan" unfortunately isn't as memorable as its predecessor.

Now a freshman congressman whose distractions take him away from his wife (Lauren Graham) and sons, Baxter is given the task by God (Morgan Freeman, back from "Bruce Almighty") to build an ark in anticipation of the great flood. Naturally, everybody thinks Evan is crazy at first, but as bundles of wood and all sorts of animals show up (two-by-two, of course), it piques people's curiosity.

Coupled with the fact that God has willed upon Evan perpetual hair and beard growth and a permanent robe like his predecessor, Noah, Evan quickly finds himself in trouble with his fellow politicians. Chief among them is congressman Chuck Long (John Goodman), an imposing leader who takes Evan under his wing for his own personal, greedy gain.

But as the ark takes shape, and his flock begins to gather around him, Evan's family starts to believe in him. As for the others, only time will tell whether they will climb aboard and have faith in what Evan's trying to do.

While Carell, Freeman and director Tom Shadyac are all back for the sequel, there's no question that "Evan Almighty" lacks the irreverence of "Bruce Almighty." Of course, that sort of portrayal is perfectly suited for Carrey, and with the power of God at his fingertips, the possibilities for humor -- particularly physical -- were endless.

That's not to say that "Evan Almighty" is a comic dud. Carell has his own sort of charm, and the dumbfounded reactions to the mystical happenings around are what win him points here. Freeman is his usual charismatic, once again bringing a warm but authoritative presence to his portrayal of the Almighty. The ark Evan is building is a star, too, and not surprisingly, gets put to the test in an impressive flurry of special effects.

Rated PG, "Evan Almighty" is easily a better film for the entire family than "Bruce Almighty," which was rated PG-13 (over implied sex scenes and an uproarious meltdown scene that's Carrey punctuates with an F-bomb). "Evan Almighty" is much cleaner, and the plot is pretty straightforward and easy for the younger kids to understand -- that is if they take the time to concentrate on other things beside the breathtaking menagerie of animals who turn up for residence in the ark.

DVD Features: Deleted scenes and outtakes, production featurettes, "Steve Carell Unscripted" feature, and interactive "Ark Animals" game and more. (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)

Also New This Week:

'Surf's Up' (PG): "Transformers" star Shia LeBeouf transforms into an animated penguin named Cody Maverick who enters his first professional surfing competition. The top-notch voice cast also includes John Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite), Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Zooey Deschanel ("Elf"), Diedrich Bader ("The Drew Carey Show") and Mario Cantone. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

'28 Weeks Later' (R): Director Danny Boyle is ready to deliver another shocking jolt to the system with the sequel to "28 Days Later." The sequel finds a city of survivors facing a new threat -- a person with the rage virus is mistakenly admitted to the new population. (Fox Home Entertainment)

TV On DVD: Season 1 DVD releases include "Creature Comforts America" (Sony Pictures Entertainment) and "Whose Line is It Anyway?" (Season 1, Vol. 2 -- Warner Home Video). Season 2 releases include "Ben 10" (Turner Home Entertainment), "Family Ties" (Paramount Home Entertainment) and "Girlfriends" (Paramount Home Entertainment). Season 3 releases include "CSI: New York" (Paramount Home Entertainment) and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (Universal Studios Home Entertainment).