The Adventures of Pluto Nash

THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH (aka PLUTO NASH) (PG)

D: Ron Underwood

Warner Bros./Castle Rock/Village Roadshow/NPV (Martin Bregman, Michael Bregman & Louis A. Stroller)

USA/Australia 🇺🇸🇦🇺 2002

94 mins

Comedy/Sci-Fi/Adventure

W: Neil Cuthbert

DP: Oliver Wood

Ed: Paul Hirsch & Alan Heim

Mus: John Powell

PD: Bill Brzeski

Eddie Murphy (Pluto Nash), Randy Quaid (Bruno), Rosario Dawson (Dina Lake), Joe Pantoliano (Mogan), Jay Mohr (Tony Francis), Luiz Guzman (Felix Laranga), James Rebhorn (Belcher), Peter Boyle (Rowland), Burt Young (Gino), Pam Grier (Flura Nash)

Upon it's release, this became the biggest box office bomb of all time, with losses of $96 million+.

I can't say I'm surprised, this movie is absolutely dire. Apparently, the screenplay was stuck in Hollywood limbo for nearly 20 years waiting to be greenlit, perhaps it should have stayed there.

I don't know who it's supposed to appeal too, it's seemingly meant to be a futuristic update/spoof of 30's gangster movies but it's too childish for adults and will probably go over the heads of kids.

Eddie Murphy plays Pluto Nash, a nightclub owner on the moon who becomes Mafia enemy #1 when he refuses to sell his club so they can build a casino in it's place. He goes on the run with waitress/singer Rosario Dawson & robot bodyguard Randy Quaid. Many fine talents are also on the cast list but each and every performance is just embarrassing. The effects look cheap and some of the sets look as though they were filmed in someone's garage.

It would be interesting to know how this movie cost $100 million (to think at least 50 better films could have been made with the same amount). Personally, I think most of the money went up one of the producer's nostrils.

2/10

Eddie Murphy & Randy Quaid in The Adventures of Pluto Nash

Did You Know:

The original script was written in 1985. A dozen other writers wrote treatments of it, but Neil Cuthbert was the only one credited. Even when the movie had completed filming, it had a two year wait before finding a distributor.

Against a total budget of $100m, it failed to return even $8m from its worldwide release.

Award Wins & Nominations:

MILSTEAD MOVIE AWARDS:

Wins: none

Nominations: none

Worst of the Year: 1 Win (Worst Screenplay (Original)), 11 Nominations (Worst Film; Worst Actor; Worst Director; Worst Supporting Actor; Worst Comedy Performance; Worst Screen Couple, Double Act or Team; Worst Ensemble Cast; Worst Excuse for a Comedy; Worst Original Score; Worst Makeup; Worst Visual Effects)

OSCARS:

Wins: none

Nominations: none

BAFTAS

Wins: none

Nominations: none

OTHER WINS:

none