Subject: REVIEW: THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1996)

From: [email-masked] (James Berardinelli)
Date: 1 Jul 1996 20:08:59 GMT

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR
                       A film review by James Berardinelli
                        Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli

RATING (0 TO 10): 6.0
Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****

United States, 1996
U.S. Release Date: 6/28/96 (wide)
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Profanity, flatulence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Jada Pinkett, Larry Miller, Dave Chapelle, 
      James Coburn
Director: Tom Shadyac
Producers: Brian Grazer and Russell Simmons
Screenplay: David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, and Steve Oederkerk
      based on the movie written by Jerry Lewis and Bill Richmond
Cinematography: Julio Macat
Music: David Newman
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures

     Eddie Murphy does not make "comebacks", because, according to him, 
he hasn't been out of the spotlight.  But, following three critical and 
box-office flops (THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN, BEVERLY HILLS COP III, 
and VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN), Murphy is hoping THE NUTTY PROFESSOR gets his 
career back on track.  Combining his own brand of high-energy comedy 
with that of ACE VENTURA veterans Tom Shadyac and Steve Oederkerk, 
Murphy is attempting to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.  And, 
while the flatulence-joke lovers who flocked to DUMB AND DUMBER will 
doubtless be overwhelmed, not to mention doubled-over, by this movie, 
those hoping for more cerebral humor are destined to be disappointed.  
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR aims for guffaws at the lowest level -- anyone with 
a double-digit IQ will get every joke.  Whether you laugh at them or not 
is often more of a matter of taste than a question of having a sense of 
humor.

     Murphy is very funny, giving his most manic, inspired performance 
in years, and playing no less than seven different roles.  Too often, 
however, the script lets him down.  I'll admit to laughing a number of 
times, but I couldn't help noticing all the squandered opportunities.  
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR should have been funnier than it is, but, by 
concentrating on bodily function humor, the film makers have limited 
Murphy's effectiveness.

     This version of THE NUTTY PROFESSOR is loosely based on the 1963 
Jerry Lewis comedy about a nerd inventing a potion that turns him into a 
lothario.  That story, in turn, was a reworking of Robert Louis 
Stevenson's THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE.  It's 
interesting that in the last twelve months, we've seen three 
interpretations of this story.  And, while THE NUTTY PROFESSOR isn't 
nearly as impressive as Stephen Frears' eerie, atmospheric MARY REILLY, 
it's infinitely more watchable than 1995's DR. JEKYLL AND MS. HYDE.  
Curiously, for a tale known best for its horrific elements, none of 
these movies fits into the traditional horror genre -- two are comedies 
and the other is a drama.

     Murphy plays mild-mannered Sherman Klump, a 400-pound science 
professor at Wellman College.  One day, the gorgeous, willowy Carla 
Purty (Jada Pinkett) walks through the door to Sherman's classroom and 
introduces herself as one of his biggest fans.  The poor professor is 
instantly smitten, and embarks on a campaign to shed his extra pounds.  
Day-after-day, he works out, but an opportunity in his lab presents him 
with a quicker, easier way to shape up.  A serum for re-aligning genetic 
structure has worked marvels for hamsters, so Sherman decides to become 
a human subject.  Moments after gulping down the light blue contents of 
a vial, the overweight scientist has been replaced by his svelte, well-
toned alternate self, Buddy Love.  But, along with Buddy's perfect 
physique comes a nasty, out-of-control personality.

     When it's not concentrating on members of Sherman's family passing 
gas, belching, or threatening to sneeze all over the dinner table, some 
of the comedy is cute.  For example, in a nightmare sequence where 
Sherman imagines himself to be King Kong, his goal when reaching through 
the window of a skyscraper isn't the girl, it's a roast turkey.  Among 
the other memorable sequences are an amusing takeoff on FROM HERE TO 
ETERNITY and the nicely-choreographed, climactic "battle" between 
Sherman and Buddy.

     There's an underlying message in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR about self-
respect and accepting people as they are (oddly, this is the same theme 
advanced by Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME).  Because Murphy's 
performance as Sherman makes us care about the character, it's easy to 
sympathize with his plight.  Unfortunately, this aspect of the story, 
which is the most touching, is skimmed over, presumably because the 
material is too heavy for a comedy.  Worse still, the presence of so 
many barbed fat jokes makes it easy to suspect THE NUTTY PROFESSOR of 
conflicted motives.

     The visual effects are top-rate, recalling Jim Carrey's THE MASK.  
With the help of makeup guru Rick Baker, Murphy is equally believable as 
the hulking Sherman, his doddering grandmother, a Richard Simmons look-
alike, and the slim-and-trim Buddy Love.  It's a tour-de-force for the 
comic, and that almost makes THE NUTTY PROFESSOR worth seeing.  Alas, 
this movie is a little too interested in easy jokes to bother with 
having a heart.  And, in the end, we're not sure whether we're supposed 
to be cheering for Sherman or laughing at him.

- James Berardinelli
e-mail: [email-masked]
ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin