Absolutely Anything

Absolutely Anything is a funny enough light comedy that seems better thanks to its notorious cast but unfortunately is a bit subdued to 'wow'.

Simon Pegg plays Neil Clarke, an unassuming teacher who has a crush on his neighbor and hates his job and boss. Little does he know that aliens are circling the planet, ready to put it to the test. One lucky human gets the power to do absolutely anything, and if they use the power for good then great, if they use it for bad, well then the aliens blow up the planet. Seems fair enough.

For those Jim Carrey fans out there, the idea behind Absolutely Anything is strikingly similar to 2003's Bruce Almighty. But unlike the Americans, the Brits are far more restrained in their use of absolute power and complete command of the universe. Neil just wants the simple things, to mess with his friends and maybe improve his work and body sitch. In fact, the ways in which Neil uses his complete power is almost too restrained and basically ends up making the film feel like a missed opportunity.

There are several decisions the producers made that really optimized the film, like getting the Monty Python gang to voice the aliens and Robin Williams to voice Neil's pet dog Dennis. Between their comedy chops and Simon Pegg, it seems impossible for this film to be bland, but it is. It seems as though the film strictly follows the script, leaving very little improvisational wiggle room which is where all the aforementioned talents shine. The comedy of Absolutely Anything is fine, entertaining and delightful, but not memorable or laugh- out- loud funny either.

Ultimately, Absolutely Anything suffers from a lack of creativity and originality in its comedy. It is amusing but average, and in the sea of films released annually, you won't even give it a second thought.

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This film tells the story of a teacher who suddenly finds himself having the power of making absolutely anything come true. He uses his power to make his life better, but it turns out that great powers come with great burden and responsibilities as well.

Simon Pegg's character unfortunately does not quite know how to use his new almighty power, and bumps into a lot of mistakes. The plot could have been entertaining, but I think the potential for a good comedy is not fully capitalised. The American soldier is quite funny, Kate Beckinsale as the love interest is engaging, but the alien subplot is quite ridiculous. I would rather the aliens have nothing to do with this plot! Otherwise, "Absolutely Anything" is a plain film with some laughs, but nothing very memorable.

This is a movie in the fashion of Bruce Almighty starring the overestimated Simon Pegg. (The main character even has a dog who wishes to be potty-trained, like in the Jim Carrey movie).

What would you do if you were able to do "Absolutely Anything"? Well, you can easily do a couple of ...turds to go flush themselves into the toilet, or make your dog able to speak, or spy on your cute neighbor.

Most of the jokes aren't funny at all and are based on the literal meaning of Pegg's wishes like I want to be on the bus means on its roof etc. The lack of imagination of the main character is derived from the poor imagination and talents of its writers and creators.

Obviously in such a movie you need good visuals to produce the "mind-blowing" and extravagant possibilities, but the movie fails miserably in that department too.

This is the absolute worst thing Monty Python has ever done. Naive, Idiotic and a missed opportunity... Avoid it...

A group of aliens decide to put the fate of the world in the hands of one random guy by giving him the power to make anything happen as a test towards predicting the values of humanity.

British writer/director Terry Jones, known for his work with the hilarious Monty Python comedy group, returns with his first feature film in 19 years for Absolutely Anything, and it's absolutely perfect absurdity. From a hilarious talking dog to a series of unpredictable gags ranging from walking turds to the accidental annihilation of an entire classroom of kids, the film's unpredictable humor is completely nuts. But like a fine mix of chocolate-covered nuts, Jones makes sure none of the jokes ever become mean-spirited, ensuring the film maintains some refined substance through its mostly lighthearted antics. Just don't expect the same style of humor seen in his '70s comedic masterpiece Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Now I won't try and bring your hopes up with empty promises, considering this flick is far from being award-worthy. Any forms of deep character development or profound script elements are instead replaced with an extra dose of silly gags, but at least they're funny enough to justify their existence. Full of unexpected wit that cleverly mixes its comedic styles, Absolutely Anything had me laughing from start to finish. Obviously Simon Pegg deserves some recognition for this, considering he's the one that allowed the far-fetched situations come to life with impeccable comedic timing. The best parts are, of course, the trial and error associated with Pegg trying to figure out how to properly use his powers without having them hilariously backfire in his face. What will surprise audiences the most, however, is the fantastic voice work brought to Pegg's lovably annoying pet dog by none other than the late legend himself, Robin Williams. It's a little bittersweet considering it's his final roll, but it certainly comes with great pleasure to say it's a memorable one.

Thankfully I never bothered checking out the film's Rotten Tomatoes rating before watching it, because it's exceptionally low 8% critic approval might have persuaded me not to give it a chance. How the undeniably pointless Stan-Helsing or Kevin Smith's unfunny detective comedy Cop Out managed to get higher critic approval scores is beyond me. Maybe it's time people adjust the tracking on their VCRs and take the time to actually watch things clearly. Wait… People don't watch VHS tapes anymore? Oh… Well I guess we can't really blame the picture quality now can we? Hum… Perhaps my taste in movies has just relinquished in quality over the years? Or maybe my sense of humor just belongs in a Saturday morning cartoon? Either way, I'd like to think I'm not the crazy one.

8.25 of 10. Amusing, alien-based soft-science fiction. Not as intricate as Douglas Adams' classic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or its 2005 adaptation, but delivers in almost every other way. It's too bad it wasn't developed a little more and made into a longer film.

Besides Simon Pegg being the ideal pick for the lead character, Robin Williams doing another post-death cameo as the voice of a dog character - speaking, thinking animals being another favorite of Adams - adds a lot of fun and post-film credits enjoyment to a story about humans getting in the way of our alien overlords.

More than just comedy or sci-fi-light, there's some excellent satire, subtexts, and recursive comprehension built into the film, making it one of the rare alien, animal-speaking films that are almost believable.