FanDominion

Opens: July 11, 2008
Rated: PG (Mild slapstick violence, potty humor, adult language, sexually suggestive humor)
Genres: Science Fiction, Comedy

After his Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in the 2006 Dreamgirls, movie critics expect more out of Eddie Murphy.

But he seems content to make slapstick gross-out comedies aimed at the 10-to-13-year old market (and those who laugh like pre-teens).

His latest movie, Meet Dave (previously called Starship Dave before some P.R.-type decided to de-sci-fi the title), has Murphy returning to comedic science fiction.

His last outing in the genre was 2002′s The Adventures of Pluto Nash which was a box office failure, but has gained a cult following due to its campy nature.

Meet Dave has Murphy teamed with Norbit director Brian Robbins (a former child actor and teen heartthrob in the 1986-1991 series, Head of the Class, who grew up to be an executive producer of Smallville).

Judging from the reviews, most mainstream film critics are not fans of the Murphy-Robbins duo. And if they have to choose a target of their venom – it more often than not is aimed at Robbins.

Positive notes include kudos to Murphy’s mastery of subtle characterization mixed with the broad comedy of physical slapstick humor.

Negative comments include digs at a supposedly tired concept, overacting by everyone except Murphy and humor that may insult the intelligence of anyone past puberty.

WATCH THE TRAILER

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• Pre-teen family friendly if you don’t mind slightly naughty potty humor

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• Overacting by most of the cast
• Cited for poor direction
• Plot runs thin

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{for="Los Angeles Times" value="3"}

"If Murphy seems to have learned something from the scathing reaction to the excessive and generally grotesque "Norbit," Brian Robbins, who directed that movie as well as this one, has not. As if to make up for Murphy's tightly controlled performance, the movie's other actors are pushed past the limits of parody. " – Sam Adams

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{for=”New York Times” value=”4″}

“The movie plays like a half-hour sitcom episode that has been stretched — principally through Mr. Murphy’s walking and talking — to feature-length running time.” – Manola Dargis

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{for=”Reuters” value=”4″}

“Like most of Murphy’s recent output, the movie aims low — as in, the targeted pint-sized audience — and its family-friendly results should translate into some solid summer numbers up on its Friday release.” – Michael Rechtshaffen

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{for=”Boston Herald” value=”2″}

“With toilet humor, such corny-as-Kansas lines as ‘How do you know when you feel love?’ and a too-predictable scenario that never lets Murphy do much more than mug, Meet Dave deserves a ‘no thanks.’” – Stephen Schaefer

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{for=”Orlando Sentinel” value=”6″}

“It says volumes about the state of Eddie Murphy’s comedy career that Meet Dave, his latest, is his least hateful film in years. For an actor known for making fun of gays, women, fat people, white people, gays, Asians and homosexuals, that’s saying something.” – Roger Moore

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{for=”San Francisco Chronicle” value=”7″}

“His new comedy, Meet Dave, isn’t likely to win Murphy another Oscar nomination. But at least it allows him to do what he does best – loads of physical comedy – and doesn’t rely principally on special effects for its humor.” – Ruthe Stein

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{for=”Chicago Tribune” value=”5″}

“Murphy as a brother from another planet inhabited by a team of little men and women supplying his every word and move, is its occasional funniness amid a sea of pablum. If it were completely rank, it’d be less frustrating.” – Michael Phillips

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{for=”Philadelphia Inquirer” value=”7″}

“In Meet Dave, family-friendly as a Fourth of July picnic, Murphy and Norbit director Brian Robbins redeem themselves with a performance and scenario that might have been developed for Steve Martin.” – Carrie Rickey

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