In the end, Evan Almighty is an allegory for government mistakes leading to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. With poop jokes. Lots of poop jokes. One could say I'm reading too much into the movie, but the shift in tone during the movie's climatic mini-Apocalypse is so dramatic, you can sense the screenwriters pleading for the audience to make the political connection. Questionable real-life metaphor aside, the movie loses its footing well before it gets all heavy- and under-handed. I think it's at the second poop joke. Maybe it's the third poop joke, but I guarantee it is well before the fifth and sixth poop jokes. You kind of have to admire its predecessor Bruce Almighty a bit more after this one. After all, that one was at least somewhat clever with its humor, a bit relatable to its title character and how having God's powers affects him, and surprisingly effective in bringing a worthwhile theme out of its later schmaltz. This one takes a promising comic leading man and makes him act a fool for the sake of acting a fool and rehashes the story of Noah and the ark with lame, predictable jokes—usually of the scatological variety.

Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), the competitive and smarmy news anchor of the first movie, is at his last day as a network news reporter. After a successful political campaign with the promise to change the world, Evan is about to become a Representative in the US House. He, his wife Joan (Lauren Graham), and three sons (Johnny Simmons, Graham Phillips, and Jimmy Bennett) move to the aptly named Prestige Crest community in their new Hummer. That night, Joan tells Evan that she and the boys prayed—she for their family to get closer—and he should do the same. Later, he does, asking for help to change the world. The next morning, the alarm goes off at 6:14 instead of 7:00, and tools from Alpha and Omega Hardware are waiting at the door. Arriving at the Capital, Evan discovers he has a big office instead of the basement he was expecting and that Congressman Long (John Goodman) wants him to co-sponsor a new bill, meaning he has to put off the hiking trip he planned with the family. The next morning, the alarm does the same thing, a pile of wood is in the front yard, and God (Morgan Freeman) tells Evan to build an ark.

Evan's disbelief lasts only for a little while until God tells Evan everything about him (including his childhood fear of Gumby) shows up everywhere, including at the Pledge of Allegiance ("One nation, under me") starting his first meeting. Evan even starts seeing 6:14 everywhere, referring to Genesis, 6:14 where God tells Noah to build an ark. Pairs of animals begin to appear, following Evan everywhere (with birds pooping on his new Hummer and suit, naturally).