here's an evolution in the works—and we don't just mean the nasty-looking creatures that appear in Ivan Reitman's film titled Evolution. Consider it a rare case: The film not only comes off better on the DVD than it did in the theaters, but the DVD also adds a wicked sense of humor to the entire package.
The premise of sci-fi comedy Evolution was a simple one: what happens when ordinary Joes—as in non-government types—take it upon themselves to investigate what's going on with the creatures that have suddenly appeared in small-town America.
Showing what Mulder might be doing in his downtime, Duchovny stars as Ira, the former military scientist-turned-professor who discovers the meteor. Ira's stalwart friend, basketball coach Harry (Jones) joins him on his initial excursion to the local impact site—and finds himself caught up in the wild antics that ensue as Ira tries to research what's going on, and the military brass stymies his every move.
As the town is basking in the notoriety of its otherworldly crash site, some local residents have
started noticing some strange goings-on. Putting 1+2 together, Ira and Harry realize there's a link to the meteor and the sudden appearance of alien life forms on Earth. The two sneak into the now-militarized crash site to try and learn more—but they get caught in the act. Although the bombastic general in charge of the operation has a long history with Ira and won't listen to reason, the duo link up with Alison (Moore)—a brainy yet calamity-prone scientist—in their attempts to stop the alien life forms from taking over the world.
Exceptional extras add extra insight
While Evolution seemed to lack any sort of presence on screen when it played in theaters, on the small screen, the movie's airy, pratfall-and-toilet-humor perspective can provide passing entertainment. This DVD's real value comes in its extras—which will be appreciated by fans of Duchovny.
The standout is an off-the-cuff running dialogue with Reitman, Duchovny, Jones and Seann William Scott—all taking cracks at remarking on favorite scenes, ad-libs and why something was cut here or added there. Reitman's comment, "Every once in a while my love of the Three Stooges gets in the way of my directing," actually sheds light onto the film's evolution (no pun intended). Reitman also reveals that the idea to do a "commercial" for Head and Shoulders shampoo that appears at the end credits stemmed from his son—and that the shampoo manufacturer did not provide the signature shampoo for
the movie.
There are a handful of deleted scenes; some, like the original take on the hotel conversation between Allison and Ira, show clearly why they were deleted, and others, like the two-minute sequence where a shirtless, bed-headed Ira gets dumped by his girlfriend, are just plain priceless. Plus, there is the alternate ending—which, thankfully, was cut from the film.
In addition to these goodies, the disc contains a 15-minute HBO preview documentary on the film, production notes, cast and crew bios, a photo gallery of 10 of the creatures in the film and a 10-minute sequence on visual effects (which, unfortunately, seems a little too canned and pre-polished in its production to fit in with the rest of the items on the disc).
