The Nutty Professor
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (12)
D: Tom Shadyac
Universal/Imagine (Brian Grazer & Russell
Simmons)
US 1996
95 mins
Comedy
W: David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, Tom Shadyac
& Steve Oedekerk [based on the screenplay by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond]
DP: Julio Macat
Ed: Don Zimmerman
Mus: David Newman
Eddie Murphy (Prof. Sherman Klump / Buddy Love), Jada
Pinkett (Carla Purty), James Coburn (Harlan Hartley), Larry Miller (Dean Richmond)
While the original 1963 film was pretty much an
excuse to showcase the comedy talents of Jerry Lewis, this 1996 remake does pretty much the same for Eddie Murphy, aided by Rick Baker's excellent makeup, which sees the comedy actor
playing multiple characters. Mostly, the portly title character, Sherman Klump, who devises a potion which turns him into a slim, (over)confident ladies man.
The jokes are very hit and miss, mostly consisting
of fat and fart jokes, the film should really be called The Fat Professor. That being said, Murphy's comedy stock had diminished throughout the late 80's and early 90's and this
saw a small return to form for him and is possibly considered one of his last decent comedy vehicles. The film is a load of nonsense, but so was the original. It's just a shame
about the rubbish sequel (The Klumps) which was released off the back of this just four years later.
6/10
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE
KLUMPS (12)
D: Peter Segal
Universal/Imagine (Brian Grazer)
US 2000
106 mins
Comedy
W: David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, Paul Weitz &
Chris Weitz
DP: Dean Semler
Ed: William Kerr
Mus: David Newman
Eddie Murphy (Prof. Sherman Klump / Buddy Love / various
members of the Klump family), Janet Jackson (Dennis Gaines), Larry Miller (Dean Richmond)
Poor sequel to the 1996 film, which mostly sees Eddie
Murphy playing all the members of The Klump family, making fart jokes and mocking fat people.
The makeup is great, the jokes are not.
An unmemorable studio cash-in on the popularity and
success of the original.
4/10
