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USA 2007
Director: Brian Robbins
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terry Crews,Marlon Wayans,Lester Speight,Clifton Powell
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: 9 February 2007
Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
The Movie Review
Wicked Power Tap
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| NORBIT |
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A comedy movie is created with the intention to amuse people, but in the process it sometimes deliberately or inadvertently takes victims, the ones to be made fun of. Sometimes the victims could take the jokes easily (if the jokes are not cruel enough), and sometimes they don't. Many comedy movies have crossed the heartless border in making fun of a group of people that the ones that got insinuated would feel anything but happy upon seeing those films.
Norbit, released in February 2007, makes fun of a overweight African-American women all over United States. Now I do believe most of them are very nice people and way way different from the one pictured in this film, but then again Norbit is a comedy film, and it would be very foolish to think that the mean African-American woman character depicted in Norbit applies to all other African-American women.
Moreover some countries have different taste concerning sense of humour. Some countries are okay with the racist issue, some are also okay with the personal issues like notably obesity (fatness). So I'm writing it just for the sake of the comedy itself.
The storyline revolves around Norbit Albert Rice, an orphan raised in the orphanage by the racist Mr. Wong (Norbit) who is fond of whaling. Little Norbit makes friend with the kindhearted little Kate, and they pretend to be married under the oak tree. But on one day, Kate is adopted by a couple, which leaves Norbit alone again. Norbit then meets little Rasputia when she helps him from the bullies. From that moment on Norbit belongs to Rasputia until after they're married.
Norbit (Eddie Murphy) serves more like a servant to Rasputia (Eddie Murphy) than a husband, thus Norbit feels very sad about this situation until one day the now-adult and beautiful Kate (Thandie Newton) comes back to the town with the intention of buying the orphanage to make it better for the orphans. Kate meets Norbit again with a spark of love seem still lingers in their hearts. Knowing this, the heartless Rasputia along with her three big burly brothers would do everything to stop Norbit and Kate from growing their relationship to the next level.
Norbit is another testimony of Eddie Murphy's acting capability in performing as several characters in the same movie just like in Coming to America (1988), The Nutty Professor (1996), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), to name a few. That means also another testimony to the great works of the highly talented makeup artist Richard A. Baker who has received 10 Oscar nominations before Norbit, and maybe even would get another one. What about the movie from the comedy standpoint? Is it funny you ask? Yes, Norbit has its moments. If you don't mind the crass jokes that is. Norbit could actually be enjoyed only if you are open-minded enough. Eddie Murphy's performance is widely divided, in a sense he could perform multiple roles and each with totally different personality but when he performs as Norbit which also means no makeup, then he performs quite shockingly awful and downright fake.
Laugh-out-loud moments are not that much, but there are a couple of chuckle inducing scenes to be enjoyed like in Power-Tap scene, boy that's energetically hilarious. Hopefully after seeing Norbit, fellow moviegoers would not stereotype African-American women as Norbit and being broadminded to enjoy and watch the movie for pure entertainment only. Just like I did.
© iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com
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