Comedy in Clumps (The Nutty Professor (DVD))

Member Name: salgirl

Product:	The Nutty Professor (DVD)
Date:	18/06/01 (175 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Special effects

Disadvantages: Intermittently funny

A remake of the classic Jerry Lewis comedy film, the story revolves around the life of one Professor Klump, played by Eddie Murphy.

An obese and jolly character, he lives with the fact that he's 30 stone until he meets a student at his school, the beautiful and SLIM Carla Purdy.

Being a bit of a whizz in the science lab, he knocks up a concoction that reduces weight dramatically. How excellent is that, you're probably thinking. Well, it's great. To a point. There is a downside, and he is the alter ego that emerges from within the cuddly lovable professor, an ego called Buddy Love.

Buddy is a loud mouth, cock-sure, smooth talking dude, and to add the necessary complication required in all good comedy/love films, this is the man that Carla is attracted to. Not Professor Klump.

The plot carries on following the struggle between Buddy and The Professor, and who will ultimately triumph in winning her and control over the rapidly altering body they both dwell in.

Okay, so it's not the funniest film when reviewed over it's entirity, but there are so truly marvellous moments when Eddie Murphy gets to act as the whole of the Klump family's major players, ie Mum, Dad, Grandma etc, and especially Grandma.

If you do the very unfair thing of comparing the two films, then I know who I think produced the better version. For me the original is the best. In that, the lovable professor is a dork as opposed to someone that immediately plays on the heartstrings because he has a weight issue. I prefer the buck-teethed, bumbling idiot who is bereft of rhythm purely because I find it a funnier representation of a nutty bloke, than Murphy's more hip version. Having said that, the special effects in the latter film are quite amazing and make the process of changing from character to another infinitely more believeable, rather than the sliding down behind a desk, clasping the throat and making gurgling noises,
only to re-emerge with the hair slicked down and a cool attitude, after a quick snip and tuck with the editing.

I'll admit that I watched the film mainly to see the effects that had been trailered in the adverts. Now that's shallow, I know, but then so is the story. I could dip in and out of this, without losing the plot and without missing too many jokes, it was all very simple and easy on the brain.

I have yet to see an Eddie Murphy film that tops "Trading Places", and as you can guess from my op, as far as I'm concerned this one doesn't come close. It's too patchy with the humour.

The best bit of the entire film for me comes when the credits are rolling. No, not because I was grateful that it's over, but this is where all the out-takes live. There are some truly classic moments when Eddie gets caught up in the adlib ramblings and turns really wild with his comments.

Favourite line? Well, it's gross and bizarre but it's when Grandma is talking about farts (as they do) and declares "I done one so strong, you could hang chains on it."

Grandmothers. Don't you just love em?

At least mine didn't discuss it at the dinner table, but after a few gins we did have to hide the lighters....

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