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God returns to the big screen, and this time he wants Evan Baxter to build an Ark.

Evan Almighty is the sequel to Bruce Almighty, and picks up Evan’s story as he embarks on a political career in Congress. Evan’s (Steve Carell) self-centred self-serving world is about to implode after The Almighty (Morgan Freeman) gives him the not-too-small job of building an Ark. And so, despite his best efforts to avoid the task in hand, and armed only with a copy of Ark Building for Dummies, Evan gets to work.

It’s when the animals start arriving – in twos, of course – that things begin to get a little difficult for the new Noah. Meanwhile, his family become increasingly alarmed at his behaviour (the choice of robes probably doesn’t help) and they are forced to make some tough choices.

This is a funny film, and Steve Carell does a fine job as the husband and father whose life slowly unravels at home and work before he finally finds salvation in his faith (amen), but it does lack the stand-out moments of the original. It is also a little too saccharin sweet in places, with too much sentimentality at the expense of the comedy.

Comedies don’t have to be relentlessly funny, but they should be fun, and there are a few too many times in Evan Almighty where the fun stops and the schmaltz starts. You get the feeling that director Tom Shadyac is trying a little too hard to convey his – not His – message.

Freeman as God dominates the screen every time he appears, and there is also excellent support from John Goodman, Lauren Graham as Evan’s wife Joan, and Wanda Sykes, who plays his assistant Rita.

If you enjoyed the original, then you won’t be too disappointed with this follow-up. The film is warm, rather than riotous, but that doesn’t make it bad. All you need is a little faith.

Evan Almighty is released on July 20.

Sex with ghosts doesn’t usually appear in anything other than trashy horrors, but South Korean film The Bow somehow manages to make it work.

Set entirely on a fishing boat at sea, a 60-year old man has been raising a girl since she was a youngster. The plan is for them to get married on her 17th birthday, which is fast approaching. Theirs is a quiet and secluded life, spent renting the boat to day fishermen and practicing strange divination rites. However things change when a teenage student comes aboard…

Despite having lived together for 10 years the pair do not exchange any words (not audibly at least) for the duration of the film. Perhaps they never have. However, although the roles are silent, Seong-hawng Jeon as the old man, and the beautiful Yeo-reum Han as his bride-to-be, manage to fill every second of screen time with rich emotion.

Theirs is a relationship built on something that transcends speech – but the appearance of the student stirs new emotions in the young girl and the lack of communication soon brings out the problems lying dormant.

The bow of the title could refer to the weapon used throughout the film, or perhaps the musical instrument fashioned from it, or even the ship upon which their lives are built. Maybe it refers to the ties between the two which become undone when paternal love evolves into something else.

The supernatural swing towards the end of the film will throw many viewers off balance, but it somehow works in a film which is never on entirely calm waters.

You can buy The Bow here.

The Happy Mondays are back with their first studio album in 11 years. Surely that’s plenty of time to make an awesome record? Apparently not, and here’s why.

Jellybean, the first track on the album, starts really well. What was expected to be an embarrassing attempt at recreating the sound of the early 90s is actually surprisingly good. The greatest thing about it is the energy it creates, especially with its catchy chorus, which breaks up the monotony of the not-quite-so-cool verses.

The strength of this record is definitely the tunes, but these are often ruined by the unimaginative lyrics and often irritating vocals of Shaun Ryder, who sounds like he does in all his interviews – brain damaged. Much like half the album, the lyrics of Angels and Whores sound like they’ve been badly ad-libbed and take all the good away from a song that starts promisingly.

A large portion of the lyrics on the album seem to exist for the sake of being funny, but, on the whole, they aren’t. The exception to this is Cuntry Disco –one of the better songs – a fun track that teeters on the edge of being ruined by pointless samples, but manages to cling on. The vocals, although a bit random, are funny and fit in nicely around the funky chorus.

It would be interesting to hear a re-mixed version of the album, one that chucks out some of the samples and finds a better vocalist and lyrics, because some of the tracks would be greatly improved and make for a much more enjoyable album.

Want to buy it? Click here.

The 100 Club in London is normally synonymous with jazz, blues and late night chitchat with cigars and a bourbon. However, with such well respected comedians as Nick Doody, Will Smith (the British one) and Armando Iannucci, you get the feeling that something else is afoot. And you wouldn’t be wrong. Hailing from the good ol’ US of America, and starring in such renowned comedy shows as Mr Show, Arrested Development and the Colbert Report, David Cross has grabbed some of his friends from the US and brought them to the UK for 10 days of comedy entertainment. And entertainment it certainly was. Cross, well known for his satirical and political brand of comedy, effectively takes the role of comedy host, placing a more observational stand-up routine between the other acts which, whilst a departure from his more poignant and hard hitting stand up (his routines this time round feature stories about his dog, heroin users and an elephant with a bladder issue), the audience still lapped up.

As for his friends, we were treated to a mixed bag of American talent in the form of Todd Barry, Kristen Schaal and Eugene Mirman, as well as dry wit from a mister Jimmy Carr, who was tonight’s British comedy guest. Although unheard of by myself, the American guests faired well with the British audience. Todd Barry’s dry wit and sarcasm was met with appreciation, as was quirky Kristen Schaal’s surrealist whimsy about her suicidal caterpillar friend. Kristen, who although entertaining, ended up having to rely on a pre-recorded spiel about not being able to sing, and a spoof video of a 24-esque cop show “Penelope Princess Of Pets” for her bigger laughs of the evening.

Following these came Jimmy Carr, who split the room (mainly into people who think jokes about the disabled are funny and Americans) with his often overly offensive one liners, all of which were read from a Denis Norden-style clipboard. Probably the most confident performer on the night apart from David Cross, he was very well received by the audience, although Carr was obviously trying out a few new gags on the audience, as some were met by stony-faced murmurs rather than laughter.

David’s final friend on the night was Eugene Mirman who, once again, was well received by the audience. A competent stand up, Mirman held the crowd with his routine including clips of him winding up religious phone callers and a video about “The Adventures of the Insane High Detective”, another self-made video, which, while funny, made me question the entry fee for what was essentially a myspace’s greatest hits compendium.

However, it was an entertaining show, and the acts seemed nervous about performing material that is well-known in the US to an untested British crowd. It’s a show that has legs, and I reckon that with a few more locally-based observations and gags, by the second week of the run, this show could be the really lovely night out it advertises itself to be.

David Cross is performing at the 100 Club on Oxford Street until 30 June 2007

The sixth album from the White Stripes carries the same title as its first song and, unfortunately, is not a reference to seventies comedy legends The Goodies… shame.

With previous White Stripes albums, there have been immediately enjoyable tracks like 7 Nation Army or The Hardest Button To Button, however with Icky Thump it’s hard to find a track that you can listen to while you strut down the road.

Maybe it’s the random time changes, or the freestyling bagpipes (oh yes), but it’s just not good as previous efforts.

Saying that, there are fewer tunes that warrant immediate skipping further plays have uncovered some stand-out tracks – particularly Conquest, where Jack battles it out with a trumpet playing a tasteful lick.

Truth is, that is why the White Stripes are still around. Even though the drumming sounds like a five-year-old’s and the guitar riffs are simplistic, they still manage to please fans by creating something unique.

This doesn’t mean that the new album is worth buying, but give Conquest a listen if you get the chance.