Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Member since:29.08.2002
Reviews:627
Members who trust:281
Before the release of Evolution back in 2001 I was a little dubious to say the least. The lack of advertising seemed to suggest to me that it really wasn’t going to be that good. All that seemed to be used was the little yellow smiley with the three eyes and that really worried me. But I went to see it anyway, not really sure why but I did and left the cinema pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Welcome to Glen Canyon, Arizona, one of those towns you see in a lot of American based film. Quite a big place with everything you would ever need. Wayne (Seann William Scott) is a waiter at the local Golf club but he’s training to be a fireman. The night before his fireman’s exam he heads out into the desert for some last minute practise. However whilst here a meteor strikes his car sending it flying into the air and leaving him Stranded.
The police take charge of the situation and cordon of the area until a local College professor, Harry Block (Orlando Jones), the local representative of the Geological
society is sent to investigate. Along with Dr Ira Kane (David Duchovny) they start to investigate the rock, which appears to be Evolving turning it’s cavern in the desert into an atmosphere for what ever species it is to live and grow.
As they discover what’s going on the army suddenly get involved as Kane was an army Dr and they monitor everything he does. But as the new species rapidly evolves strange animals start to over run the army feel it’s time for them to step in and with a team lead by the clumsy Dr Allison Reed (Julianne Moore) close off the area to Harry and Ira. This then leads to some very amusing moments such as the fly in the suit scene.
The film is directed by Ivan Reitman who was part of the team behind Ghostbusters and Road Trip, which suggests the film will be relatively funny. However it’s the way the script is written to seem totally inane but hilariously funny at the same time that really makes it into more than the mediocre film it could have been. Although saying that there are some moments in the script where you just think, that’s not right. The direction on the whole is good though and the film is pretty easy to follow, without jumping and leaving huge plot holes.
The casting on the whole was good. Although I’m a big fan of Duchovny from the X-Files I was a little sceptical as to whether he could actually pull off a comedy film, but with the aid of Jones it works very well. I’d never actually seen Jones in anything before but will have to look out for him in more, but one scene will stick in my mind and that is the one I mentioned earlier. I wont ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen it but I’ll just say it will explain the title!!!
The other main character played by Julianne Moore is a little clumsy and ditzy, to try and add to the comedy effect on the film. However I think the chemistry between her and Duchovny, which is fairly similar to the Mulder and Scully partnership on the X-Files, works very well in this film.
All three leads really are quite funny, but it’s Seann William Scott who makes the film for me. His comical timing and ability to pull off some of the silliest things really is highlighted after he teams up with Kane and Block and ends up singing in the middle of a mall to attract the attention of a giant bird. His presence in any film where a teenage type character is need is always brilliant and this is no exception.
The special effects are pretty good and the development of the new atmosphere in the cavern is done well. They created all sorts of different types of animals and creatures for it and all of them look quite realistic, even the “Blue Monkey”. This again was something that could have made the film or sent it onto the I Wish I’d Never Bothered list. Fortunately I’d say it actually made it.
Overall it’s just a pretty stupid film that’s ideal for those nights where you just want a no brain type of film. The casting works reasonably well and the script is aided more by the directors vision than the actual content but it is always a good film to watch, which I still find reasonably amusing after seeing it god knows how many times 2 years after its release.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Good review. My fav part apart from the fly in my suit bit is near the end when they look like they're conducting a jumbo enima, with the comment from Block of "It's pay back time"!.m
kappaslappa 05.12.2003 22:45
I thought this film was very funny when i saw it :o)
L.Yeomans 03.12.2003 21:48
I bought this film. It's really original and funny. Love it!
Lucy x
Based on the evidence inEvolution, one thing is perfectly clear: special effects have ... more
evolved, but director Ivan Reitman has reverted to primitive pandering. Equally obvious is the fact thatEvolutionis a defacto rip-off of Reitman's 1984 classicGhostbu...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The director of Ghostbusters takes you on an evolutionary roller coaster ride with big ... more
laughs and even bigger special effects in EVOLUTION. Starring David Duchovny (The X Files, Return To Me), Orlando Jones (Say It Isn't So, Bedazzled), Sean William Sc...
Glen Canyon Arizona the present day. The impact of a meteorite changes the life of ... more
biology teacher Dr. Ira Kane and geology teacher Harry Block from Glen Canyon Community College when he manages to take a sample. Soon he discovers a slimy blue fluid...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![Evolution [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78533647.jpg "Evolution [DVD] [2001]")
Nov 20th, 2003
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