Norbit

Yes, the movie is racist and politically incorrect, but you know what? I think many people are offended because they miss the point. Brian Robbins and Eddie Murphy would be stupid to make a racist movie -- instead, they are making fun of it. Anyone who has seen a South Park episode would understand "satire" instead of calling it racist, homophobic, or whatever. I think that's what Eddie Murphy was trying to do here -- to poke fun at our own prejudices.

As a film, Norbit only succeeds halfway. It has some hilarious moments, but the film is unfocused and inconsistent. The script is bad, but I guess if you're used to comedies like Epic Movies, you'll be okay with bad comedy scripts. The stereotypes are so blatant and obvious that they are funny. When Mr. Wong (Murphy) said, "Of course I am racist!" he had a point. In a way, we are all prejudiced; we just don't want to admit to it.

Judging from the reaction of a packed theater on a Sunday night (blacks, whites, Asians, men, women, thin people, overweight people), I think people can have a good time with this one if they put aside their political correctness. It's just another crude, raunchy, silly comedy. And Eddie Murphy is funny as hell.

I seriously liked this movie. It showed also that fat people can wear a bathing suit at the water park and do what skinny girl do as well no matter what. It showed that a skinny guy accepts a huge girl, as you can see in norbit, he saw as big at first and then they came to like each other somewhat. It is just humor, people are making big deals about the movie, but what about when he did the nutty professor, and so forth, how come no problems with that, I mean we have a Fat scientist in the lab and he got to a nice looking skinny girl, but there wasn't any parts in the movie stating that the nutty professor was toooooo fat and same thing with this movie, People need to get a grip and just relax it is only humor, We had Marlon in Little Man, no problems there right, and then we also had White chicks no problems there, so Black people need to chill out and relax, it is just a funny movie, nothing derogatory.

First let me say ... I am an Eddie Murphy fan. I think he's a comic genius. And that's why I was so surprised to see him star in and even write such a low level and offensive comedy.

The first few minutes of the film started out with a little promise, but it didn't take long for the film to fall to such a low level that I cringed from early in until the movie was over. And even though I watched to nearly the end, I demanded my money back. It's only the second time I've ever done that, and I'm an avid film goer.

What was so offensive? I don't know where to begin. Most obviously, every "fat" gag in the book was used. Eddie Murphy plays an overweight woman who is ugly and evil, and every nasty thing you can think to say about her is said. To make it worse, the leading lady is Thandie Newton who is extremely thin, which only goes to further emphasize the other extreme.

Maybe Eddie Murphy thought he could get away with this because he shows, in The Nutty Professor, how an overweight man can "get the girl". But, really, that just shows the extreme double standard that remains when it comes to overweight men versus women.

Now, I'm a realist, and I know that the double standard is not Eddie Murphy's fault. Still, he plays on it here in such a nasty way that it offended me, an open minded, in-shape male. And for those who argue that it's the character's attitude and not her weight that made her "the bad guy", then why make her fat in the first place. And why have so many nasty fat jokes.

The movie was offensive on other levels too. The racial humor wasn't funny. There are some lines with attempts at humor that really go too far. Many of you who have seen it will understand what I mean. And those who haven't, I hope you don't support this film out of curiosity. Please, wait for cable. There is nothing in this that you can't wait to see.

I heard that it was Eddie Murphy's brother who came up with this idea. If EM did this as a favor to his brother, he could have done his brother, and himself a bigger favor by bringing Charlie in on a better project and tossing this script.

On the one positive note: Eddie Murphy does put his all into these characters as always. His job as Norbit gets lost in the low class, low level "comedy". Even though I just saw the film, I had to really remember that his performance as Norbit was decent. All I can think about is how offended I was, and how thoroughly depressed an overweight woman sitting at the end of my row looked throughout most of the film (she left before I did).

If you liked the humor in The Nutty Professor, you'll laugh yourself silly while watching Norbit. Nowadays, it's not acceptable to make fun of unattractive, overweight women, but back in 2007 it was still alright to make ugly, fat jokes. And it was still alright for Eddie Murphy to dress up as a woman and make the audience laugh. I thought this movie was hilarious, but I'm including a little disclaimer for the modern feminists out there.

Those of you who still like to laugh at politically incorrect jokes will want to rent Norbit after a hard week at work. It's very silly and pure escapism. Eddie Murphy plays three parts: the nerdy, meek title character, his adoptive Chinese father, and his overweight, overbearing wife. The entire movie of just the unhappily married couple would have been funny enough, but adding in a love triangle amps up the motivation of Norbit's wife to get even more aggressive - which in turn, becomes even funnier! Thandiwe Newton plays Norbit's childhood sweetheart, but good luck getting a divorce! Can two sweet souls find happiness, or is there bound to be a large, obnoxious, hilarious fly in the ointment? Rent Norbit for a very silly and fun evening.

This is NOT meant to be a serious movie. Those who created Norbit did not set out to make a witty, comical masterpiece that made the viewers think and contemplate...this is a comedy. No one seems to understand it, be the long, winding and rather dull critical remarks on the movie bringing 'a new meaning to distasteful' or something equally as yawn-worthy, what needs to be realized is that this is riddled with clichés and fun, comical satire. This is not meant to make one think, it exists because it must have been entertaining to make and it is funny. This is no Little Miss Sunshine, and it serves its purpose, I spent one hour and forty-two minutes without a decent thought in my head. Those humorless people who continue to bore us with their in depth reasoning for 'why this movie isn't good' need to stop for a second and look at the plot and concept...this is not meant to be taken seriously.