NORBIT

Directed By: Brian Robbins
Written By: Eddie Murphy, Charles Murphy, Jay Scherick & David Ronn
Story By: Eddie Murphy & Charles Murphy
Cinematography By: Clark Mathis
Editor: Ned Bastille

CAST: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, Michael Colyar, Kristen Schaal, Rob Huebel


This is a travesty, Just how far the mighty have fallen. The trailer looked good but this is one of the worst movies i have seen. How could it go so wrong? you have a cast of comedians and comedic actors, but don't let them loose so that they have stale material tha comes out lame. Which is a shames since this is almost a all star film.

Then there is the tone of the film with it's bright washed out colors and broad characters with a simple storyline and outrageous make-up designs.

This is truly a disappointment. This film has so much comedic talent and it's not really funny. Eddie murphy usually excels at r rated comedy but the humorhere comes off as stale and unoriginal likeit is held over from the 80'swhere i tmight have been revolutionary. It is strange it tries to sell a kid's film with adult jokes. it doesn't work at all. The film feels like it had been hidden somewhere secret for awhile where it should have stayed.

I understand Eddie Murphy's penchant for playing multiple characters under haeavy make-up for his films but here one character is a 80's tired asian stereotype he has done before. The other is a mean spirited grossly overweight woman who seems to have stolen Tyler Perry's Madea character and punchlines, Then just made her mlore ignorant, but with better make-up. I can understand why he does the multiple character roles. They have paid off well in the past, But those films were handled with care by professionals who knew what they were doing. They also had funny jokes and the character created usually seemed to be three dimensional (Though they were in few scenes, they made a impact) and lovable. Here they are just unlikable and grotesque.

I don't know maybe Eddie Murphy who i feel is one of the funniest men alive. Either he seems not to care about the material as long as he is the star and gets paid well or maybe too many yes men who tell him, it's funny or maybe his sense of humor is stuck in the past and refuses to move on. He needs to stop saying yes to every project that pays him his price. He need to read the material more closely and if you like it take time to hone it,So that it is actually funny. maybe if the material had been nurtured and worked on instead of rushed like it feels and i realize Mr. Murphy wants to be like Peter Sellers when it comes to multiple roles and showing his versatility in his movies. He must have wet his whistle on COMING TO AMERICA. It would have made the film more receptive if he playes less characters and been like Jim Carrey in LEMONY SNICKET. Play the villian and share the comedy and screen with other actors. Here he seems to only want to do it all himself.

Whenever director Brian Robbins and Eddie Murphy make a movie together. The films are usally bright color wise, but the twoof them together are always a disasterous combination. Though this film was a box office hit. IT might have cost Eddie Murphy the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the film DREAMGIRLS. He needs to stop working with Mr. Robbins, who is talented somewhat but so far has made his career with kids and teen entertainment. He has not moved on to making a succesful adult film. I just feel like he is out of his element not ready to stretch his range. They are like enblers for one another.

Eddie we still know you have the charisma,the humor and the range. DREAMGIRLS which came out the year before showed all the things eddie has been missing in recent years so we all now it's still there. he just need the roght projects or create some original material.

The film Concerns Norbit who hasbeen a victim his whole life. He was adopted by a chinese resteraunt owner who ends up running a orphanage. he meets rasputia at a young age and becomes her boyfriend then husband though she always bullies him she does the same to the town with the help of her brothers. years later Norbit's childhood sweetheart comes back to town to run the orphanage with her fiance. Soon old feelings are rekindled will they get to live happily ever after.
Skip it.

The film Bombs when it comes to the material.

GRADE: F