At a budget in the ballpark of $175 million, Evan Almighty is said to be the most expensive comedy ever made. But judging from the critical reaction thus far, the filmmakers would have been wise to check out the Book of Proverbs: "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint." A spinoff from the 2003 Jim Carrey vehicle Bruce Almighty, Steve Carell stars as Evan, a TV anchor-turned-congressman who is told by the Lord (an aptly cast Morgan Freeman) to build an ark, much to the befuddlement of his family and constituents. Carell is one of the funniest men on the p***t, but critics say that in Evan he's mostly reduced to mugging, overwhelmed by costly but mediocre special effects. Pundits also note the scatological humor is a little extensive for a family film, and the usually dependable Freeman and Wanda Sykes are underutilized.

For those of you out there who dig horror movies but prefer spooky atmosphere and suspense to buckets of blood, you're in luck. In 1408, John Cusack plays a troubled writer who's made a career of debunking the supernatural; for his latest, he sets out to spend one night each in 10 "haunted" hotel rooms. Bad idea, says Samuel L. Jackson, who plays the manager of the notorious Dolphin Hotel, since no one has survived the curse of room 1408. Pundits say the film, based upon a story by Stephen King, is an old-school chiller in the best possible way, featuring effective scares and outstanding performances from Cusack and Jackson.

Lost in the tabloid hubbub surrounding Angelina Jolie is the fact that she's never less than an interesting actress. Playing Mariane Pearl, wife of the slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, critics say she's at the top of her game. Based upon Mariane Pearl's book of the same name, A Mighty Heart recounts the frantic search for her husband following his capture at the hands of militants in Pakistan. Pundits say director Michael Winterbottom has crafted a sharp, worthy film about a difficult subject, and Jolie conveys the full emotional range of a woman in a desperate situation. Find out what else is playing this week.