Absolutely Anything

Where aliens randomly select shy, unmotivated schoolteacher Neil (Simon Pegg) to receive the power to make anything happen as a test of whether the species is ready to enter galactic civilization, or be destroyed. Neil has no idea that's why he has the power, and much attempted hilarity ensues as he tries using it in different ways, only to be tripped up by its literal nature.

This is tied up with Neil pining after his downstairs neighbor Catherine (Kate Beckinsale), who seemingly every guy in the movie wants to sleep with, and they're all trying to abuse their power to make it happen, or not taking "No" for an answer. Her boss offering a better office. Rob Riggle playing a crazy Air Force colonel who flew to England to stalk her. Neil, who tries to be funny, and tries to be considerate looks pretty good in comparison, but he does end up trying to use his powers on her.

Most of the humor is broad, Riggle's character being a crazy buffoon, Neil's dog (voiced by Robin Williams) being given the power of speech so he can loudly shout out his love for Neil through a locked door while Neil tries to explain things to Catherine. Most of it didn't really work for me. I've never found Rob Riggle funny. I might just not be the audience for it.

The end, where Catherine seems to decide to trust Neil awfully quickly, when she'd been rightfully concerned about whether he was mucking with her free will earlier*, that bothered me. All through the film we see these guys trying find that right combination to "make" her love them, despite her being clear she isn't interested. Neil can forgo all that, just make her be interested, but he says the powers are gone, and she agrees to have dinner with him. I guess the argument is Neil had always just needed to be honest with her about his feelings, he didn't need power or whatever, because he seemed like a decent guy. And with the powers gone, she figures he's still that guy. Seemed dodgy to me.

There are a couple of bits that worked. Neil's attempt to actually use the powers to make the world a better place - "No more wars for any reason, ever" doesn't work as you'd expect. Neil's attempt to hide his friend Ray from the coworker Neil has made "worship" Ray. And I was oddly intrigued when his dog insists that dogs let people rub their bellies because people like doing it, while Neil insists they do it because dogs like it.

Which probably says something about how engaged I was, I got distracted by that. Also by the fact that, for all he dreams of receiving awards and acclaim for a novel he's trying to write, he doesn't use the power to make his novel be finished and be great. No telling how that would turn out, but that hadn't stopped him any other time he wished for something.

I think I was expecting a different ratio of comedy to drama (more about Neil struggling with how to best use the powers, and looking to his dog for guidance, for good or ill), and it's definitely not that. Also, I wasn't expecting a romantic comedy, which isn't a genre I seem to be fond of? Those aren't the movie's problems, but I don't think it really succeeds at what it was trying to either.

* The powers only work when he gestures a certain way as he says something, so he does that and nothing happens as proof. But he could have wished to have control that didn't require that. Although if he was smart enough for that, he would have thought to wish for the knowledge of why he had the powers.