Evan Baxter, side character in the 2003 film Bruce Almighty, has his own hilarious touch with God in Universal Picture's Evan Almighty, released June 22.

Struggling to stay afloat in the fast-paced, swindling world of Congress, Evan (Steve Carell) prays to be able to fulfill his campaign slogan and "change the world." His prayers are personally answered, and after some comedic encounters with God (Morgan Freeman), Evan is transformed from a selfish, busy congressman into "New York's Noah," a seemingly crazy yet family-oriented man who spends his free time building an ark.

While the film remains humorous due to Carell's natural ability for comedy, Evan Almighty struggles to maintain an engaging plot and by the end is gradually overtaken by its cheesy, cliché moralistic undertones.

Nonetheless, fans of Bruce Almighty will enjoy Evan Almighty. Just like their titles, the only differences between the movies are their main characters. These light and funny cookie-cutter films have identical plots: They following the struggle of a goofy lead — empowered with godly attributes — as he encounters problems with his significant other, fails at his jobs and ultimately learns lessons about himself, God and the world.

Even the protagonists of both films are similar. Carell follows in Jim Carrey's footsteps with completely random and kooky humor and the capacity, unlike many comedic actors, to conquer a serious and realistic role.

Because of Carell's humor, the first half of the movie is very entertaining, repeatedly highlighting Baxter's comedic misfortunes as he battles a beard that cannot be shaved, a wife who thinks he's crazy, hoards of animals following him in pairs of two, a scheming congressman and the very will of God. This part of the movie progresses like a series of comedy sketches, scene after scene featuring Baxter in slapstick humor reminiscent of Charlie Chaplain. The audience is kept laughing with the waves of absurdity, climaxing with a montage of Evan attempting and hilariously failing to build an ark.

With his recent rise to fame with the television series The Office, Carell continues to make audiences laugh with Evan Almighty. Unlike his prior work, like The 40 Year Old Virgin with its crude sexual humor or the political incorrectness of The Office, Evan Almighty features very family-friendly humor centered on silly slapstick and innocent wordplay. His prior success is alluded to in this film as his character drives by a movie billboard wittily advertising a film called The 40 Year Old Virgin Mary.

Unlike Carrel, Lauren Graham, who plays Evan's wife, fails to live up to her prior successful performances. Unlike her well-known character Lorelei in the series Gilmore Girls, Graham is flat without her trademark quick speech and witty banter.

Just like Graham's disappointing acting, the second half of the film is worse than the beginning as Evan becomes less funny and the film becomes more serious. From the hilarity of Evan's attempts at building an ark, the movie adopts a sermonizing tone, focusing on the importance of family, the power of faith and the value of perseverance in the face of adversity. While God beautifully convinces Evan's wife to support her husband and bring their family closer together, the audience, bored, is probably waiting for another scene with Evan accidentally, and amusingly, bashing his foot with a hammer.

One viewer noticed the change in the film's theme and commented, "It would have been better if it had been 20 minutes shorter" — not a good indication for a movie that runs for only an hour and a half.

Despite the weak ending, anyone who sees Evan Almighty will agree that Steve Carell and his signature wackiness keep the film from sinking.