Evolution (film)

Evolution
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Ivan Reitman
Produced by	Daniel Goldberg Joe Medjuck Ivan Reitman
Screenplay by	David Diamond David Weissman Don Jakoby
Story by	Don Jakoby
Starring	David Duchovny Orlando Jones Seann William Scott Julianne Moore
Music by	John Powell
Cinematography	Michael Chapman
Editing by	Wendy Greene Bricmont Sheldon Kahn
Studio	The Montecito Picture Company
Distributed by	North America: DreamWorks Pictures non-USA: Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	June 8, 2001 (2001-06-08)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$80,000,000
Box office	$98,376,292

Evolution is a 2001 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, Julianne Moore and Ted Levine. In the United States, it was released by DreamWorks and internationally, by Columbia Pictures.

The plot of the film follows college professor Ira Kane (David Duchovny) and geologist Harry Block (Orlando Jones) who investigate a meteor crash in Arizona. They discover that the meteor is harboring extraterrestrial life which is evolving very quickly into large, diverse and outlandish creatures.

Evolution was based on a story by Don Jakoby, who converted it into a screenplay along with David Diamond and David Weissman. The movie was originally written as a serious horror science fiction film, until director Ivan Reitman re-wrote much of the script. Shooting took place in California with an $80 million budget and the film was released in the United States on June 8, 2001. The movie grossed $98,376,292 internationally. Reviews for the film were mostly unfavorable, as the movie review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 42% positive rating.

A short-lived animated series, Alienators: Evolution Continues, that was loosely based on the film, was broadcast months after the movie was released.

Plot

A meteor crashes deep into the desert ground near the town of Glen Canyon. The next day, college professor Ira Kan (David Duchovny) and his friend, the geology professor Harry Block (Orlando Jones) investigate the crash site. They meet Wayne Grey (Seann William Scott) a fireman trainee whose car was damaged in the strike, and learn that the meteor fell into a network of underground tunnels. They take a sample, surprised that it oozes out blue liquid. Ira discovers that it harbours extraterrestrial single-celled nitrogen-based organisms that multiply quickly. Impressed by the condensation of millions of years of evolution into a few minutes, the two take the science class to survey the meteor site the next day, but much to their surprise, the cells from the meteor have already evolved into oxygen-converting fungi and alien flatworms that thrive in the atmosphere, later learning that they reproduce through mitosis.

The next day, Ira and Harry find that the army has sealed off the site and begun setting up a base. They meet General Russell Woodman (Ted Levine), and clumsy Dr Allison Reed (Julianne Moore), who both refuse to acknowledge the duo's role in the discovery. Angry, Harry and Ira take Woodman and Reed to court for the right to be part of the research, but Woodman reveals that five years ago, Ira was discharged from the army because of an anthrax vaccine he created which led to terrible physical disorders, and they are barred from the base. Upon reaching their lab, they find Woodman has had it cleaned of all their samples and files. In response, the duo infiltrate the base underground to get another sample, now finding a rainforest teeming with life. Dr Reed notices the intrusion and apprehends them. Their conversation is cut short when an alien insect manages to get inside Harry's body, but a doctor rectally removes it over his extremely vocal protests.

In the morning, Ira and Harry return to the office to find Wayne waiting for them. He has captured a dead unknown amphibian, which killed the owner of a country club. Another strange mammalian creature appears in someone's house but again dies. Ira and Harry believe that the aliens are coming out of the caves and trying to adapt to the oxygen based atmosphere. The trio soon find a cliff overlooking a ground filled with dying winged dinosaur-like creatures, one of which gives birth right before it dies. The young creature has adapted to the oxygen and flies away with a hostage in a mall, so the trio chase it armed with shotguns. Wayne begins singing into a microphone which draws the alien to them and they shoot it down.

The Governor of Arizona (Dan Aykroyd) orders Woodman and the staff for help in containment of the growing problem. Allison explains that in two months, the alien network will engulf the entire United States. Woodman explains his plan to evacuate everyone from five miles of the infected area and bomb the aliens with napalm. However, their attention is diverted by the aliens, which have now evolved into primates and attack them. They manage to fight them off and Allison returns the stolen research material taken from Ira to him, joining his gang on their trip back to the college as the town is evacuated. There, Harry accidentally tosses a match into the specimen petridish, causing a red mass to rapidly grow from the ooze: they realize that heat triggers the rapid evolution of the organisms. Noticing the position of nitrogen on the periodic table, Ira figures that Selenium might be poisonous to the aliens as they are nitrogen-based, just like arsenic is poisonous to carbon-based life-forms. Allison tries to call Woodman to prevent the napalm strike but Woodman refuses the call. Ira's students Deke and Danny (Ethan Suplee and Michael Ray Bower) arrive, and recall that selenium sulfide is the active ingredient in Head & Shoulders shampoo.

Everyone begins to pour the shampoo into a firetruck, whilst Allison and Ira bond. However they are too late as the napalm strike begins, triggering a gargantuan amoeba-like organism to surface from the alien environment. The team decide to press on with the mission and drive under the gigantic organism, finding a rectal hole. They pump the shampoo contents into the hole, causing the organism to explode. Governor Lewis proclaims Ira, Harry, Wayne and Allison as heroes and Wayne is made a firefighter. Ira and Allison skip the festivities and kiss in the fire truck. Amusingly, Harry, Ira and Wayne later become spokesmen for Head & Shoulders.

Production

The three-eyed smiley face used as the logo of the film in marketing was borrowed from the comic book Transmetropolitan. Producers had to get permission from DC Comics to use it and were licensed by Smileyworld Ltd., owner of the smiley face trademark, to use it for advertising and commercial purposes.

During the lengthy shooting in Page, Arizona, Dan Aykroyd entertained locals by checking ID cards for guests at a bar, greeting people at Wal-Mart, and visiting locals for a cup of coffee in their homes. Because the film was shot (but not set) in December, DreamWorks asked the locals to delay putting up their Christmas decorations. Following the shoot, DreamWorks paid the city employees overtime to decorate the town in time for Christmas.

All of the on-campus, classroom, lab and professor's office scenes were filmed at California State University, Fullerton, in Fullerton, California. The building used for the movie was Miles D. McCarthy Hall, which is currently home to the College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

The clumsiness of Julianne Moore's character was her idea. The three main male characters perform a commercial for Head & Shoulders at the end of the movie; Ivan Reitman's son Jason came up with the idea. As part of the commercial they each hold out a bottle of Head & Shoulders. Harry Block (Orlando Jones) holds his out backwards.

Cast

• David Duchovny as Colonel (Ret.) Dr. Ira Kane, PhD.
• Julianne Moore as Dr. Allison Reed, PhD.
• Orlando Jones as Professor and Coach (female volleyball) Harry Phineas Block
• Seann William Scott as Wayne Grey
• Ted Levine as Brigadier General Russell Woodman
• Ethan Suplee as Deke Donald
• Michael Bower as Danny Donald
• Pat Kilbane as Officer Sam Johnson
• Ty Burrell as Colonel Flemming
• Dan Aykroyd as Governor Lewis
• Katharine Towne as Nadine
• Gregory Itzin as Barry Cartwright
• Ashley Clark as Lieutenant Cryer
• Stephanie Hodge as Jill Mason

Kyle Gass, Sarah Silverman, Richard Moll, Tom Davis, Jerry Trainor, Miriam Flynn, Caroline Reitman and John Cho have cameo appearances.

Soundtrack

The film's music score was composed by John Powell, conducted by Gavin Greenaway, and performed by the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra. It is available on Varèse Sarabande.

Reception

At the time of release, the film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 43% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 130 reviews, with an average score of 4.9/10. The consensus on the site states, "Director Reitman tries to remake Ghost Busters, but his efforts are largely unsuccessful because the movie has too many comedic misfires."

TV series

Evolution was made into an animated series in 2001 to 2002 called Alienators: Evolution Continues on Fox Kids.

See also

• List of American films of 2001
• Panspermia

External links

• Evolution at the Internet Movie Database
• Evolution at AllRovi
• Evolution at Rotten Tomatoes
• Evolution at Box Office Mojo