Evolution (2001)

A fire-fighting cadet, two college professors, and a geeky but sexy government scientist work against an alien organism that has been rapidly evolving since its arrival on Earth inside a meteor.

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Writers:

Don Jakoby (story), David Diamond (screenplay)

Stars:

David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Julianne Moore

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Duchovny	...	Ira
Julianne Moore	...	Allison
Orlando Jones	...	Harry
Seann William Scott	...	Wayne
Ted Levine	...	Gen. Woodman
Ethan Suplee	...	Deke
Michael Bower	...	Danny (as Michael Ray Bower)
Pat Kilbane	...	Officer Johnson
Ty Burrell	...	Flemming
Dan Aykroyd	...	Governor Lewis
Katharine Towne	...	Nadine
Gregory Itzin	...	Cartwright
Ashley Clark	...	Lt. Cryer
Michelle Wolff	...	Carla
Sarah Silverman	...	Denise

Storyline

When a meteorite falls to Earth two college professors, Dr. Ira Kane and Prof. Harry Phineas Block, are assigned the job of checking the site out. At the site, they discover organisms not of this planet. Soon the site is taken over by the government, forcing Ira and Harry to the side. As the new life-forms begin to evolve and start to get more and more dangerous, it's up to the two professors to save the planet.

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Plot Keywords:

chase | fire truck | planet | college professor | government | 

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Taglines:

Have a nice end of the world.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, and for sci-fi action

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Evolution

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$13,408,351 (USA) (8 June 2001)

Gross:

$6,927 (USA) (25 November 2016)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, DreamWorks, Montecito Picture Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The placement of the element selenium in Head and Shoulders shampoo is technically correct. Though regular Head and Shoulders shampoo does not have any of the element, Head and Shoulders Intensive Treatment Shampoo actually does consist of approximately 1% selenium sulfide.

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Goofs

(at around 2 mins) When Wayne kicks the hut's door in the beginning, a board on the wall, right to him, falls down. In the next shot, it's back on the wall again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[At night, Wayne drives out to a shack in the desert and places a mannequin inside it. He is wearing a yellow fireman's coat, without a fire department's name on it]
Wayne Grey: Despite all the warnings, she was smoking in bed, fell asleep. Bad move.
[He sloshes gasoline inside the shack and strikes a match]
Wayne Grey: And the fire begins. Showtime!
[Hollering in fake excitement, he charges into the shack]
Wayne Grey: Don't worry, ma'am, I'm here to save you!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The trio do an endorsement for the shampoo Head & Shoulders just before the end-credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Kill Buljo: The Movie (2007)

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Soundtracks

Borderline
Written by Josh Todd (as Joshua Todd),
Jonathan 'JB' Brighman (as Jonathan Brightman),
Keith Nelson & Devon Glenn
Performed by Buckcherry
Courtesy of DreamWorks Records

User Reviews

Loved the Creatures

A lot has been said about what's good and bad in the movie. I won't revisit those comments. I thought the creatures were creative and hysterical.

Sure they weren't logical or realistic, but they were fun in a fantasy sort of sense. I enjoyed the watching the entire alien "ecosystem" evolve.

Fortunately, I'm the kind of person that understands a movie made to be predominantly a comedy doesn't require scientific accuracy, nor should the audience expect it. It was intentionally silly.

One last thing. I thought David Duchovny did a great job playing a character that had a wry, dry sense of humor. He wasn't exactly a straight man, but it was clear to me, he was laughing at the world.

Rating, I gave it 8/10 because it entertained me AND my wife, something many movies can't do.