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Verdict: Divinely funny.

By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
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"Bruce Almighty" is the divine intervention Jim Carrey's career has needed ever since the disastrously treacly "The Majestic."

Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, WKBW-TV's go-to guy when there's a breaking story about Buffalo's largest cookie. However, like Joel McCrea in "Sullivan's Travels," he doesn't see any value in merely getting people's mind off their troubles for a while. He aspires to the anchor job which, instead, goes to his rival, Evan Baxter ("The Daily Show's" irrepressible Steve Carell).

Nothing is going right in Bruce's life, from his job to traffic jams. So he gives God a piece of his mind and God (Morgan Freeman . . . who else?) gives him the chance to do a better job. Bruce is made God-for-the-week, while the Almighty takes a vacation. When Bruce protests that God never takes vacations, the Lord winks, "Ever heard of the Dark Ages?"

Predictably, Bruce first uses his power as a kind of glory-fied magic trick. He tries out the "10 Commandment" treatment on a bowl of tomato soup. He gives his live-in love, Grace (Jennifer Aniston, especially appealing) a breast enhancement.He even figures out a way to resurrect his career; he "just happens" to be on the scene when a police dog digs up the body of Jimmy Hoffa, complete with birth certificate and dental plates.

Alas, even more predictably, Bruce slowly realizes that being God means more than making everyone in Buffalo a lottery winner. You know, all the dippy stuff about the tired, the poor, the huddled masses, the wretched refuse, etc.

And that's where "Bruce Almighty" surprises you. The jokes, even the most obvious ones, are really funny. And the squishy parts aren't nearly as squishy when you've got Carrey and Freeman sailing through them. At one point God asks Bruce for a true, from-the-heart prayer, and Bruce earnestly prattles on about feeding the hungry, world peace, etc. "Good answer," God says, "for a Miss America contestant."

"Bruce Almighty" can be as raucously crude as the "Ace Ventura" movies. (Yes, there's another classic butt joke.) But the movie's theology is sound and it isn't afraid of its own admittedly square spirituality. Granted, director Tom Shadyac can't resist some wince-inducing throwbacks to the goody-goodiness of "Liar Liar" (which he also directed), but the movie overall is better than that. The most important thing Bruce changes while on deity duty is himself.

What's beautiful -- or, as Bruce would say, B-E-A-Utiful -- about the film is that it draws on every facet of the star's talent. The outrageous physical foolishness of "The Mask" alternates with the more serious slant of "The Truman Show" and the boyish adorableness Carrey brings as a presenter at awards shows. The movie takes itself seriously but not too seriously. How can it when God himself tosses off one of Carry's signature lines, "Aaalrighty then!"

Carrey is utterly delightful, whether pulling off some hilarious pratfall or energizing the most mundane piece of dialogue. The casting of Freeman -- the actor most likely to be voted to play God by everyone who makes movies or watches them -- doesn't hurt either. He and Carrey are criminally funny together, playing off each other like a classic vaudeville team.

There's some trouble near the finale when the picture doesn't know how to end itself, but that's quickly righted. Otherwise, "Bruce Almighty" is the feel-good movie by which all this year's other feel-good movies will be measured.