Evolución

Let me say this: I was never a fan of Ghostbusters. I guess I never got in on the bandwagon on that one. I never found it to be as funny as a lot of people (tons of people actually) found it. I thought parts of it were cool (like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man), but most of the movie was too drab for me, for some reason. Someday I'll write a review of it, but I'm too lazy to do it right now.

Why am I talking about Ghostbusters when I'm reviewing Evolution, some of you ask? Well, it's simple. The same man directs both movies (Ivan Reitman) and both movies have very similar plots. Except that, in my opinion, Evolution is better. Basically, think of Evolution as a remake of Ghostbusters only throw out the ghosts and put in aliens, which I like because aliens, in my opinion, are cooler and more realistic than ghosts.

Let me mention some bad stuff, just to get it over with because I have to do at some point. This movie misses some serious opportunities to be funny. Sometimes, when you are expecting a joke, there is none. It's almost as if they really weren't trying. Sometimes the jokes are a little corny.

One last bad note: some of the aliens suck. The ending alien is a bit of a let down. It kind of reminded me of Akira, if you've seen that movie. There is also this cute alien who turns out to be nasty via the "mouth within a mouth", a la Ridley Scott's Alien.

Now on to some good stuff. This movie is really funny in a happy kind of way. I compare the mood of this movie to another Dreamworks alien-comedy, Galaxy Quest (a movie I thought was hilarious). If you liked Galaxy Quest, and I think most people did, then you will like Evolution.

Something else I would like to point out is how scientific Evolution is. The movie seems very intelligent as far as talking about how the aliens evolve. I for one and happy to see a movie that isn't completely dumbed down for the uneducated. I like alien stuff and space stuff, so this kind of science interests me. Overall, I found Evolution to be very intriguing apart from being funny.

Oh, I want to mention Orlando Jones. He's the black guy from those 7-Up commercials. I love this guy. He steals the show in this movie. I knew the guy was great ever since I saw the first of those 7-Up commercials. He was also in the Replacements (that lame football comedy which was also somewhat entertaining), and he's probably been in some other stuff I haven't seen or can't remember. But let me tell you, this guy is going places. As for the other actors, they're decent. I like the touch of having David Duchovny on board. Julian Moore is a good actress, but she got shafted in the character department. She has a basic "walking cardboard cutout" character with little personality. Oh well.

In conclusion, please do me a favor of not going into this movie expecting a great movie. Why do people do that? Every movie can't be the Godfather or 2001 or Saving Private Ryan, so why don't you just shut up and enjoy the movie. You won't look back at Evolution at the end of the summer as you favorite summer movie this year, but you're not supposed to. Evolution was made to be entertaining, not great. It was made to give you your money's worth and put forth an enjoyable show. I think it accomplishes its mission.

7/10

Evolution is meant to be nothing but a fun flick and that what is. The fil is vein of Ghostbusters and has very funny moments. Seann William Scott makes this movie for me though. He's on the verge of being a superstar. The atcion sequences and direction also make this a good film. Check it out for a good time.

A duo of small town college professors stumble upon a meteor with alien life present. This is great news for them, at least until they find out that the alien evolves and reproduces at a rapid rate, so much that the earth may be devoured in a matter of days.

This film's strong point? David Duchovny. While the jokes are so-so and the plot is a pleasant variation of "The Blob", it is Duchovny that makes this film watchable. Without him, it would be easily forgettable and probably wouldn't have the underground geek following that it does. I also appreciated the brief appearance from Sarah Silverman.

A few years later, the film "Slither" came out which once again tackles the idea of an evolving, blob-like life form. I think "Slither" is the better film: better effects, much more horror-oriented and still with a healthy dose of comedy. Though I wouldn't say it made "Evolution" entirely obsolete -- they are two distinct films with distinct charms that may appeal to different audiences.

A lot has been said about what's good and bad in the movie. I won't revisit those comments. I thought the creatures were creative and hysterical.

Sure they weren't logical or realistic, but they were fun in a fantasy sort of sense. I enjoyed the watching the entire alien "ecosystem" evolve.

Fortunately, I'm the kind of person that understands a movie made to be predominantly a comedy doesn't require scientific accuracy, nor should the audience expect it. It was intentionally silly.

One last thing. I thought David Duchovny did a great job playing a character that had a wry, dry sense of humor. He wasn't exactly a straight man, but it was clear to me, he was laughing at the world.

Rating, I gave it 8/10 because it entertained me AND my wife, something many movies can't do.

Evolution is a step up from most gross-out comedies. With a nice idea for a plot, it starts off quite serious before the stars show their comic talents off. David Duchovny has good comic timing that hasn't really been tapped before, Orlando Jones is far better here than in Double Take and Say It Isn't So and Seann William Scott is a damn fine comic actor who uses his goofy charm to his advantage. Julianne Moore's constant falling over isn't funny, but you can't have everything. It's a shame that it flopped in the US, because it's really good. The special effects are decent, the turns are likeable and the script is loaded with sharp wit. OK, maybe some jokes go dead but seeing Orlando Jones getting lubricated after a bug enters his body and Scott singing to a flying monster in a mall is reason enough to go see this excellent summer blockbuster.