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EVOLUTION Send This Review to a Friend
The formula is down pat. Mix science fiction, comedy and the required gross-out scenes and you have "Evolution," decidedly summer fare from director Ivan Reitman of "Ghostbusters" renown. Any recipe similarity may be strictly intentional. The result is reasonably expert delivery for those who relish this sort of horseplay.
David "X-Files" Duchovny as Ira and Orlando Jones as Harry, two professors, get in early on the phenomenon of a meteorite landing in Arizona. They take some samples and discover living organisms that quickly evolve, bypassing what historically took millions of years of evolution. Soon there dinosaurs hopping around, enormous birds flying about and even a menacing ape. The military quickly takes over the scene, with Ira and Harry trying to outsmart the brass before the state of Arizona is overrun as a prelude to an even wider catastrophe. Julianne Moore as Allison, part of the government team, joins Ira and Harry, and besides, she and Ira become an item.
Duchovny is the cool one, Jones the guy with the funny bits. There is some inspired humor, such as a monster bird picking up a terrified woman shoplifter and flying around a department store with her while our heroes try to shoot it down. The grossest scene involves Harry combating a giant mass of whatever with an enema made of a brand name shampoo. Talk about product placement. I won't name it, except to say that Harry has his head and shoulders inside the oozing creature along with a fire-hose and nozzle.
"Evolution" could be a lot better, but it provides what fans of this sort of genre may find amusing enough for a dash of escapism. At least it's not "Pearl Harbor." A DreamWorks release
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