Bruce Almighty [Blu-ray]

Comic genius Jim Carrey stars with Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in the entertaining comedy hit of the year that critics are applauding as a “laugh a minute” (Jim Ferguson, FOX-TV). Bruce Nolan (Carrey) is a TV reporter who believes the entire universe is stacked against him. In a life-altering encounter, the Big Guy Upstairs (Freeman) endows Bruce with all His divine powers and challenges Bruce to take on the big job to see if he can do it any better. Bruce Almighty is the wildly funny comedy featuring “Jim Carrey at his best” (Leonard Maltin, Hot Ticket).

Bestowing Jim Carrey with godlike powers is a ripe recipe for comedy, and Bruce Almighty delivers the laughs that Carrey's mainstream fans prefer. The high-concept premise finds Carrey playing Bruce Nolan, a frustrated Buffalo TV reporter, stuck doing puff-pieces while a lesser colleague (the hilarious Steven Carell) gets the anchor job he covets. Bruce demands an explanation from God, who pays him a visit (in the serene form of Morgan Freeman) and lets Bruce take over while he takes a brief vacation. What does a petty, angry guy do when he's God? That's where Carrey has a field day, reuniting with his Ace Ventura and Liar, Liar director, Tom Shadyac, while Jennifer Aniston gamely keeps pace as Bruce's put-upon fiancée. Carrey's actually funnier before he becomes Him, and the movie delivers a sappy, safely diluted notion of faith that lacks the sincerity of the 1977 hit Oh, God! Still, we can be thankful that Carrey took the high road and left Little Nicky to Adam Sandler. --Jeff Shannon