Culture wars are over (if you want it).

The rest of the week's critic wrangle is coming shortly, but we first have to give special mention to A.O. Scott over at the New York Times, getting uncharacteristically sassy on "Evan Almighty," which, he posits, may be the harbinger of "a fruitful franchise in the making here, a potentially endless series of movies with popular, sometimes naughty comedians acting out wholesome modern-day versions of well-known Bible stories."

Think of the possibilities: In “Stan Almighty,” Mr. Freeman tells Sacha Baron Cohen to kill off one of his kids (whichever Breslin, Culkin or Fanning is furthest from puberty); in “Doug Almighty,” Will Ferrell is swallowed by a computer-generated whale; and in “Jane Almighty,” a virginal Sarah Silverman finds herself pregnant with Mr. Freeman’s child. Eventually, Dave Chappelle will fight the battle of Jericho and the culture wars will have officially ended.

Heh. But Mr. Scott, the joke will be on you when that Ferrell concept totally goes into production in a month or so, with Eddie Murphy as the voice of the smack-talkin' whale.

+ Using the Light of a Star to Illuminate Ugly Truths (NY Times)