Review of The Nutty Professor (1996) by David A — 03 May 2012

(from The Watermark 07/04/96).

Murphy achieves a surprising feat in this formulaic (and often hilarious) comedy: He turns in an understated and touching performance. Updating the original Jerry Lewis story to tackle our current weight-crazed society, Murphy is an obese professor who is very insecure about himself. He discovers an experimental formula that alters the DNA sequence which predisposes a person's weight. When a pretty teaching assistant catches his eye, he figures she'd probably prefer a thinner version of him, so he takes the drug. Suddenly he's fit and trim, but he's also obnoxious, self-centered and oversexed. Basically, we watch him become - Eddie Murphy. But he plays this Super Ass with more than a hint of self-mockery. Add his Coming to America schtick of playing several supporting characters, and Murphy rocks: tour-de-force comedy and over-the-top self-parody complimented with bittersweet subtlety. The movie's story may be predictable, but Murphy is the icing, the flowers, and the candles on this cake. Queer Quotient: The usually gay unfriendly Murphy wisely steers clear of sexual orientation issues, though there is a hint of a "gerbil joke" in the film's opening sequence.