Movie Review: Norbit
Movie: Norbit (PG-13)
Released: February 9th, 2007
Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Small Popcorn
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Director: Brian Robbins
Rating: It Might Be on TV One Day
Synopsis: Norbit played by Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls, The Nutty Professor) is a good-natured chap who was left to grow up in an orphanage/Chinese restaurant. He ends up marrying Rasputia (also Murphy). She is the big giant woman who is the exact opposite of his childhood sweetheart, who has just moved back into town. Norbit tries to figure a way out of his predicament and get the girl of his dreams.
Review: “Have you ever made a really big mistake?” That is the tag line from the movie poster for Norbit. Upon leaving the theater my answer is, yes! Going to see Norbit is a huge mistake of Rasputia proportions. Norbit is not the worst movie ever made but a comedy it was not. The story is sweet but most attempts at laughter leave you sour.
Norbit is dumped off as a baby at a Chinese restaurant/Orphanage where the owner, Mr. Wong (again also Murphy), takes him in. He loses his best friend and sweetheart, Kate, at age five when she gets adopted. Norbit never gets adopted and is the dork that gets picked on in school. Then one day Rasputia comes to his rescue. From then on he is stuck with her. He likes being part of her family because in his eyes, any family is better than being alone. Norbit ends up marrying Rasputia. He is too scared to leave because of Rasputia’s wrath and her three brothers. Norbit goes along with the only family he has ever known.
Then Kate played by Thandie Newton (The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II) comes back to town with the dream of taking over the orphanage from Mr. Wong. This gets Norbit thinking about his life and what it could be. He tries to figure out how to get out from under Rasputia and get Kate’s scoundrel of a finance played by Cuba Gooding Jr. (Radio, Jerry Maguire) out of the picture. Comedy is supposed to ensue.
Norbit is supposed to be a sweet love story told inside a lowbrow bawdy comedy in the vein of a movie like There’s Something About Mary
Seeing that the movie studios keep greenlighting these types of movies with Eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence playing multiple characters, I have a suggestion. They have teamed up before in the relatively well-regarded movie Life
I have to say, stay away as it will be on TV one day. If not for the charming story trying to be told and the beautiful Newton, Norbit would be a definite, don’t even bother.
What did you think of Norbit?
How Do You Choose Between Hannibal and Norbit?
How do you choose between two movies that you don’t particularly want to see right now? Both Hannibal Rising and Norbit look like movies I will watch at some point, like when they reach HBO.
I will watch Hannibal Rising so I can say I have seen all four of the Hannibal movies, not including Manhunter
Speaking of laughing, that is what Norbit is supposed to make you do. You know how you see the trailers and ads for a movie and laugh and then see the movie only to find out you had seen all the funny parts. What does it say if you didn’t really laugh at the trailer? Have they saved all the really funny stuff for the viewing audience? Somehow, I doubt it.
The theater going experience normally would consist of going to see:
- Summer Blockbusters like the upcoming Spider-Man 3.
- Action movies like the upcoming Shooter.
- Suspense Thrillers like the upcoming Breach.
- The occasional comedy or drama.
In that order, most everything else would be caught either via Netflix or premium cable movie channels. Part of the idea behind New Movie Friday was to get out of that rut and see other types of movies on the big screen. Having to see one of the newly released movies each Friday. This hasn’t been that bad except the week that The Hitcher was my only choice. But this week, I just don’t know.
So, the choice is between what looks to be a bloody horror flick masquerading as a suspense thriller or a lowbrow comedy trying to masquerade as a romantic comedy. I guess I could throw darts or flip a coin but I came up with something else.
I went with the time the movie starts at my local AMC Theater. They have an early matinee ticket price for movies that start before noon. This can be too early for me since I work nights but I also like saving money. This leads me to picking Norbit as this week’s movie. Why? Because it has the later start time of the two, which means I will still get some sleep and enjoy the cheaper ticket price.
How would you choose between Hannibal Rising and Norbit, if you had to?
Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy and Eddie Murphy vs. Hannibal Rising
This week is much the same as last week at your local movie theater. We have two movies to choose from, a comedy and a suspense thriller. They are Norbit with Eddie Murphy playing just about everybody and Hannibal Rising who is killing just about everybody. They each look to have that one movie too far quality. Hannibal Rising being the forth movie in relation to The Silence of the Lambs
New Movie Releases for February 9th:
Movie: Hannibal Rising (R)
Starring: Gaspard Ulliel and Gong Li
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Synopsis: See how a young Hannibal who witnessed his parents death as a young boy, was then forced to live in a Soviet orphanage that occupied his former home and saw unspeakable things before getting out. Hannibal seeks out his uncle in Paris and finds he is no longer but is taken in by the uncle’s widow. He then goes to medical school where he learns the tricks of his soon to be trade and takes vengeance on those who killed his family thus thrusting him into the serial killer he will become.
First Thoughts: It looks like, from the promos, they have taken a psychological thriller and turned it into a slasher flick.
Movie: Norbit (PG-13)
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Norbit (Eddie Murphy) is a good-natured chap who was left to grow up in an orphanage/Chinese restaurant. He ends up having to marry Rasputia (also Murphy) the big giant woman who is the exact opposite of his childhood sweetheart who has just moved back into town. Norbit tries to figure a way out of his predicament and comedy ensues.
First Thoughts: Eddie Murphy has played multiple characters in movies before like The Nutty Professor
Does either of these movies look good to you? If you had to see one of them, which one would it be?
Movie Review: Because I Said So
Movie: Because I Said So (PG-13)
Released: February 2nd, 2007
Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.
Ticket Price: $7.00 Matinee
Refreshments: Peanut M&M’s
Starring: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham and Gabriel Macht
Director: Michael Lehmann
Rating: Worth a Full Price Ticket
Synopsis: Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is the mother of three beautiful daughters. Milly (Mandy Moore) is the youngest and has the most trouble with choosing the right guy. Mom doesn’t want to see her daughter go down that path again and sets out to find her the right guy. Daphne tries to find Mr. Right by heading out into the online dating waters and much comedy and calamity follows.
Review: Because I Said So is like a chocolate soufflé pulled from the oven at just the right time. It is light and sweet and fun to eat yet it is also warm and dramatic in presentation. To put it plainly, this was a very well done romantic comedy drama. It is not quite When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless in Seattle but better than last week’s Catch and Release.
Because I Said So starts you out with a photomontage of women and their daughters and weddings over the years. Then we jump to the wedding of the oldest daughter of the Wilder three who is played by Lauren Graham (TV’s Gilmore Girls, Bad Santa). Next we get to see a bit of the middle daughter’s wedding, which is played by Piper Perabo (Cheaper by the Dozen, Coyote Ugly). These two scenes let you in on the family dynamic quite well. You’ll find that the mother, played by Diane Keaton (Something’s Gotta Give, Baby Boom), is a meddler who really cares for her daughters and the youngest one, Milly played by Mandy Moore (Saved!, How to Deal), is no good at finding the right guy. Then the comedy really gets going as the mother decides to find the perfect man for her daughter by placing an ad at an online dating site. This leads inadvertently to her daughter meeting two men, one of her mothers choosing and the other not so much.
Diane Keaton is at her uptight quirky best as the mother of this beautiful brood. Her best scene might just be when she learns that her daughter is going out with another guy. Not the one she set her up with and she must just get a peak at him. I don’t want to ruin it for you but it involves cars, a dog and an unhelpful GPS.
Lauren Graham complements nicely as the oldest sister as does Piper Perabo in a lesser role. They both serve the story well, with a well-placed line or appearance to break up the conflict between mom and her youngest.
The relationship between the sisters reminded me of Related, a very good TV show that unfortunately only lasted one season on the old WB (now The CW). They are an amusingly vibrant and loving family that is always on the phone with each other. Talking about how one of the other ones is annoying them.
Tom Everett Scott (TV’s Saved, That Thing You Do) plays Jason, the man chosen by Milly’s mother, Daphne. He is a good-looking rich architect. Gabriel Macht (The Recruit, American Outlaws) plays Johnny, a musician who finds out what Daphne is doing and thinks he would like Milly but is rebuffed. He decides to find out for himself. They each play their characters well and if you have ever seen a romantic comedy before, you know whom she is going to end up with. This doesn’t take anything away from the movie, as it is the journey, even knowing the destination, which is worth watching.
One minor annoyance for me was the dubbing of some singing. It didn’t seem that the scene called for a pitch perfect voice, just a real one that showed these women were having fun. This would have conveyed what they were going for in that scene a lot better. Seeing mouths not quite line up with what you are hearing took me out of the moment, briefly. This is weirder still, considering Mandy Moore is a singer and Diane Keaton can sing as well.
Because I Said So is a very sweet and funny story of a mother who just wants her youngest daughter to be happy and not make the same mistakes she made. It is worth paying for a full price ticket. If you are looking for a good time, with four fabulous women, then head on out and see Because I Said So. Why exactly, you ask? Well, that should be pretty obvious.
Have you seen Because I Said So? Let us know what you think. Would you recommend it?
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