This week has been pretty grim and serious in terms of our subject matter, so we’re going to lighten things up a bit. By “we,” I mean me and the gremlin in my pocket (his name is Bob. He’s good people. For the record, it’s an inside joke with some friends. I promise.). Bob and I decided that we needed something fun. Something wacky. Something to help you good people unwind. The recommendation this week will send you over to iTunes or Google Play to rent Ivan Reitman’s 2001 comedy Evolution. Here are five reasons to watch it this weekend.

Bob approves.

Characters with something to prove are nothing new in comedies. A scientist that messed up in the military? Priceless potential for reminders of past wrong-doing and redemption. It’s sad to think that David Duchovny’s Ira Kane considers community college a punishment, as I know many people that would love the opportunity to teach at the college level, and the students work really hard. Still, it’s great to see a character from a more privileged background that grows to defend his humble surroundings, even if he doesn’t like them at first.

Oh, so much to say here. The government containment measures that fail. The disastrous attempts at a biochemical warfare vaccination. The insults lobbed at each other and the backstabbing. That people this supposedly in-the-know are this careless and stupid is something universal to all goverments. We can all relate to the fact that these morons can’t seem to do anything right, and that this incompetence means that the world is in danger. Ah, the joys of a shared experience.

Orlando Jones is funny as shit in this movie. The geologist that really just wants to coach women’s olleyball wouldn’t have been played by anyone else. Between the deadpan delivery of smart ass lines (“I seen this movie, the black dude dies first”) and the screaming, he’s wonderful. His playful moan of, “Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” will forever haunt my dreams. Not to mention my favorite line ever: “There’s always time for lubricant!” Yes, Harry. There is always time for lubricant.

Always time for lubricant.

I’m a firm believer in extraterrestrial life. Look around you: there has got to be something more intelligent but there. So yes, I’m outing myself as a believer. Any film that deals with alien life is endeared to me as a result. The aliens in this film aren’t pretty or friendly, which I like. They also don’t have their basis in carbon, which I’ve wondered about frequently. Just because it’s not carbon-based doesn’t mean it’s not capable of life. Always be open to the possibilities.

This is my favorite scene of the whole thing. Between a veiled Evil Dead reference (shotguns in a department store!) and Seann William Scott singing, I totally love this sequence. It’s reason alone to watch it.

“Ca-caw….”