Rating: 
Summary: Evolution into a lower form of movie
Review: Movie Summary: Dr. Ira Kane and his friend Harry Block discover a meteor that has fallen to earth outside the local college that they work at. The meteor starts to spawn all sorts of weird alien life forcing the inept duo who discovered it to save the world.My Opinion: The trailer made this movie look pretty cool with its excellent special effects and awesome aliens. But it hid the fact that this is a farce comedy. All the special effects and cool aliens are just the backdrop for the slapstick and gross out humor that makes up the core of this movie. David Duchovny and Orlando Jones play stooge like college teachers. They team up with a klutzy fireman want to be Seann William Scott. Together these three take every scrap of seriousness out of this movie. The silliness was too much for me, but it might be okay for kids who like gross out humor and adults who are expecting it. DVD Quality: Video: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1 with great picture quality. Sound: DTS and DD 5.1 Extras: Making Of..." Featurette, Deleted Scenes, Storyboards. What You Should Do: Rent it if you can stand the silliness and gross out humor. This is by no means a classic like Ghostbusters, but you might get a few laughs. Related Movies To Check Out: Ghostbusters, Men in Black, Pitch Black
Rating:
Summary: BUGBUSTERS
Review: Perhaps David Duchovny is doomed to follow in the steps of many tv stars who just can't make it "big" on the big screen. The X-FILES star did well enough in the feature-length film of that series, but other than that, he's floundered. EVOLUTION does have some wonderfully wacky moments, and some brilliant special effects. What it lacks is a consistency in tone and a good team of actors. Julianne Moore is hilarious as the clumsy CDC rep; Orlando Jones is as effective as Ernie Hudson has been; and Seann William Scott does his usual goofus stint. Ted Levine is very good as the greedy general, and Dan Akroyd is wasted in his role as the governor.
There are funny sequences, but there seems to be a lot of time when you're waiting for something to make you laugh again.
Inventive, but not the movie it should have been.
Rating: 
Summary: Good effects, good cast, good fun
Review: Let's be entirely honest here, "Evolution" is a silly movie based upon a barely palpable grasp on science. However, it doesn't matter because it is genuinely entertaining. The plot is just plausible enough to allow the viewer to enjoy a great cast offering up some genuinely funny lines amidst some very good CGI (and I write this two years after the film was released). The story revolves around rapidly evolving alien life forms that arrive in Arizona via a meteorite. This nod to the theory of Panspermia shows that while the link to real science may be tenuous, it won't be severed altogether. This is an element that the viewer comes to appreciate as it allows a reasonable suspension of disbelief, which adds to the movie's appeal. As these "aliens" become more sophisticated they wreak a rapidly escalating amount of havoc on a nearby medium sized city. It is here that our rag-tag band of heroes, David Duchovny as a disgraced biologist, Orlando Jones as a geologist who is more interested in anatomy than rocks, Julianne Moore as a hard driving CDC researcher and Seann William Scott as...well, Seann William Scott, come to the rescue. OF course, along the way they face the requisite bone-headed general, not to mention the rigors of a Division III women's volleyball schedule. Nonetheless, they rally together and triumph in fine style. The reason why this journey is fun to watch is simple: while each one of these actors offers up an excellent performance (particularly impressive given Moore and Duchovny aren't known for comedy), it is as an ensemble that they really shine. In particular, the exchanges between the three men are always hilarious as Duchovny plays a perfect straight-man for Jones and Scott. Moreover, Moore shows a remarkable ability for prat-falls that are the highlight of some strong physical acting. As the film progresses to an inevitable showdown with the aliens, the viewer is treated to more great performances from the supporting cast, including a cameo from Dan Akroyd that is perfectly delivered. At the same time, the effects, which are contemporaneous with "Jurassic Park II" still view well, even if they aren't cutting edge. In particular, there is a dragon -type creature that ranks among the best CGI creations I have encountered (pre-Gollum of LOTR, of course). Finally, unlike far too many DVD's, "Evolution" offers a great value in terms of quality and extras. The sound and picture are both excellent, but that is becoming more of the norm than the exception. Where the disc really shines is in the bonus features. The deleted scenes are well chosen and include commentary that offers an interesting look at the film making process. Moreover, storyboards, commentary and visual effects features all make for an entertaining, interesting viewing experience. What this review really comes down to is this: if you don't appreciate silly humor, if you pick apart movies for the slightest flaws, skip "Evolution", you won't like it. Conversely, if you enjoy the give and take that comes from a cast that obviously enjoys working together, if you appreciate good special effects, and if a good "popcorn" movie is what you crave, "Evolution" is right up your alley. I've watched it literally dozens of times and I never get tired of it. It's eminently quotable, fun to watch, and makes great use of its cast, and silly or not, is a movie I never get tired of. Enjoy! Jake Mohlman
Rating:
Summary: Coming to wipe that silly smile off your planet.
Review: Evolution, while a very slick movie, ultimately fell flat for me. I love good science fiction movies and I love good comedy movies, but in this case two great tastes did not go great together. This movie stars David Duchovny (Dr. Ira Kane), Julianne Moore (Dr. Allison Reed), Orlando Jones (Prof. Harry Block), and Seann William Scott (Wayne Grey) and while I am sure all four actors were happy to work with such an accomplished director, Ivan Reitman, I wonder if they were equally pleased with the final product. As far as the actors' performances, Duchovny played his part pretty well, while Jones seemed to go overboard as the comic sidekick. Moore seemed a little out of place compared to some of her other roles, and I kind of felt sorry for Seann (no, I am not misspelling his name as it really has two n's at the end of it. What's up with that?) William Scott in that his character was so moronic. I felt he could have offered a lot more to this movie, given a chance. In the beginning (no, not that beginning), we see a meteor slam into the Earth, and soon discover that it's teeming with alien life. The alien microorganisms start growing and evolving at an exponential rate, creating some rather nasty life forms. Ira and Harry, who both work at the local community college, are the first scientists on the scene. Their discovery and dreams of fame and fortune go down the tubes as the government arrives on the scene and assumes control of the situation. Dr. Reed, a member of the CDC, working with the government, begins to find herself at odds with the military and they way they're handling the infestation, and slowly starts to align herself with Ira and Harry. Seems like a pretty standard sci-fi plot, but did I mention this is also a comedy? Evolution follows the formula of Ghostbusters, one of Reitman's biggest hits, but the comedic chemistry between the actors in this movie just doesn't seem to gel like it did with the stars of Ghostbusters. I read that this was at one time a straight up science fiction movie, until Reitman got hold of the script and rewrote it, adding the comedy elements. I would have liked to see this movie before that happened, see what could have been. The special effects are really good, providing lots of gooey alien stuff, and interesting looking creatures, but all that seemed a little wasted in this movie. You can see the movie is based on science fiction, with the comedy forced into the picture like a square peg into a round hole. Some parts were pretty funny, but I think the mix is a hard one to make work, and the effort fell flat. Another reviewer mentioned Tremors, a movie where these two elements worked well together, creating a more palatable end result, and I would agree. A decent effort, but not Reitman's best. I think we've come to expect more from him based on his past efforts. This movie has plenty of eye candy, but not a lot of substance. It's easy to watch, geared more towards the not so discriminating viewer, but ultimately forgettable.
Rating:
Summary: BUGBUSTERS
Review: Perhaps David Duchovny is doomed to follow in the steps of many tv stars who just can't make it "big" on the big screen. The X-FILES star did well enough in the feature-length film of that series, but other than that, he's floundered. EVOLUTION does have some wonderfully wacky moments, and some brilliant special effects. What it lacks is a consistency in tone and a good team of actors. Julianne Moore is hilarious as the clumsy CDC rep; Orlando Jones is as effective as Ernie Hudson has been; and Seann William Scott does his usual goofus stint. Ted Levine is very good as the greedy general, and Dan Akroyd is wasted in his role as the governor.
There are funny sequences, but there seems to be a lot of time when you're waiting for something to make you laugh again.
Inventive, but not the movie it should have been.
Rating:
Summary: Just Plain Fun
Review: It's clear that as long as Ivan Reitman works in sci-fi comedy he will never achieve the greatness he did with Ghostbusters. That movie was a masterpiece of genius. Evolution is nothing but a fun ride that comes nowhere near the class of Ghostbusters. But it's still well worth it. Weird really when you consider that Ghostbusters: Go to Hell, the second sequel in which hell got so full that spirits started spilling out into the real world, was re-written and redrafted that it became this...something completely different. You probably know the story. A meteor crash lands in the desert and the single celled organisms living on it very, very quickly become multi celled and then little worm creatures and then...many other things. The movie repeatedly calls them aliens but since they evolve from nothing on earth and are conditioned by earth's environment they are, effectively, earth creatures. Watching them run riot and cause havoc is the main fun of this film.
Ghostbusters had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, like a fine wine. Evolution has a crude, gross-out sense of humor like American Pie, which seriously lessens the overall quality of the film. The lead trio of actors perform rather well together. Duchovny is much looser and easy-going here than his stiff, X-Files character. Seann William-Scott once again plays a dufus but he's more endearing here than he has been in other roles. Orlando Jones is kind of good but he too often takes his role in the stereotyped 'only black guy in a white movie' direction. Sadly though, Julianne Moore's accident-prone scientist just isn't funny and her clumsiness seems false and forced. But obviously when you judge Evolution next to something better it seems an inferior movie. Judge it on it's own terms and you'll definitely enjoy. The DVD is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen (though it really could have benefited from a scope 2.35:1 aspect ratio) and is in rather lacklustre Dolby 5.1
Rating:
Summary: Stupid but funny
Review: This movie rocks! when i first heard of it and i thought it was really stupid. However, when i finally saw it over my friends house i loved it. It was so funny, i laugh about it still today.
Rating: 
Summary: LOL
Review: This is a very funny movie. I wouldn't exactly classify the idea behind it as an alien attack as a previous review has done. It doesn't really involve a premeditated attack as much as it does survival of the fittest. At any rate, this movie is a straight comedy and does not pose any philosophical questions or contain serious dialog. I have seen this movie reviewed as being "another such and such type of movie." I really found it to be quite original and clever. The acting and effects are great, the casting is perfect, and the special features...aren't really that special. This is definitely one of those comedies that you can pull out and laugh at again and again.
Rating: 
Summary: Apologize, Reitman!
Review: Before anything, I have to point out that Reitman isn't a very skillful director. He can do some shabby work in his efforts to make crowd pleasing movies. Take the "Ghostbusters" movies. Not very well executed. But they succeed, thanks to some endearing characters. "Evolution" lacks such characters. So it falls flat on its face. Duchovny and Moore have lousy comedic delivery. He's certainly no Bill Murray, which is what the Kane role needed. But you must admit, Jones's delivery is impressive. Dan Aykroyd's minor role can't salvage things. Reitman's directorial faults are naked to the world. Granted, screenwriters Jakoby, Diamond and Weissman must take a large part of the blame and shame. But Reitman should have seen that script needed a huge rewrite before production. And you would have thought the Dreamworks gang would have exercised some judgement. But no. We sat and waited for two hours for a joke to work. But finally, the three-eyed smiley face came along to tell us we'd been had. The supernatural "Ghostbusters" required much less suspension of disbelief than this science themed movie. Those writers did much more homework than these. Loose ends flow though your fingers like the zillions of evolving flatworms. To think that the final explosion wiped out every last alien creature is the final insult. I won't bother with all the shows this rips off. That's been dealt with. We suffered through so much, waiting for something witty. But it never came. At least it wasn't a total failure. Thanks to "Evolution," I discovered the lovely actress Sarah Silverman and the nifty band Self. But that's almost no consolation. Reitman, you owe us all a huge apology for this travesty.
Rating:
Summary: GREATEST IN THE GENRE SINCE GHOSTBUSTERS!
Review: from special effects to both broad and slapstick comedy, this movie is fun from beginning to end! the special features are well worth the price difference between dvd and video,and either way, this is a fun, fun ride!
mg
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