O Grande Dave

Before I start ranting I would like to make it clear that I think this site is fantastic as it epitomises democracy and allows people to present all their contrasting opinions which are all equally valid. However I have a problem with some people who seem to take a snobbish attitude to films (and culture in general), and seem to discount a film's credibility before/after they've seen it, often due to the actors or even the audience that it is aimed at. If you don't like silly films with dubious reality, then why go and see an Eddie Murphy film in the first place?!In my opinion each film should be rated on it's individual merits, and how it compares to the genre. Why not go and see a film with an open mind and then rate it on the reaction that it provokes? This is a film for children and adults alike, not meant to be taken seriously but is a Hilarious film! There is not one person in the cinema who was not creasing themselves...I was sat next to a man in his fifties who enjoyed it just as much as I did!I am normally a bit undecided when it comes to Eddie Murphy, but this is by far the best film I have seen him in. His physical comedy and facial expressions are comic genius, and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments. Yes, it is definitely a silly comedy and the plot deteriorates vastly in the last third and is swamped in sentimentality. However isn't that what you expect from Eddie Murphy and a Hollywood film?! If you fancy 90 minutes of fun and pure laughter then this is the film for you...however if you are not a fan of Eddie Murphy or silly comedy (elf, galaxy quest etc) then give it a wide berth!

Meet Dave is the story of a crew of miniature people inhabiting a big robot who has come to Earth on a mission to save his people. Eddie Murphy plays the Captain of the vessel and the outward version of the vessel which as automaton has limited capacity for emotion. However after he is damaged in a collision with a vehicle he decides to attempt to learn more about these earth people, spending time with Gina who ran him over and her son Josh, who worries that he isn't a hero like his late father. As you can tell from what's been written so far, this is no kitchen sink drama but a light-hearted Disney-esquire comedy.

Meet Dave is a fun family film that doesn't challenge us too much and has it's heart in the right place. There is plenty of toilet humour which kids always love and some genuinely funny moments throughout, I laughed, the audience laughed. We did not pelt the screen in outrage and nor did we sit there in silence for 2 hours as we did with the film I mentioned to start with. The film is like a cross between "Galaxy Quest" and "Doctor Dolittle" and while the humour is more akin to the latter "Dolittle" this is still a fun family film. So why three or less?

I think that for many film reviewers that sit through and be nice to the usual tripe that passes for entertainment over this season there has to be a villain, a film that they slate that then bombs as a result, and sadly this is that film. I also suspect that there is also an element of "compromise movie on a date" disappointment and maybe even a few "The film I wanted to see was full and I have to sit through this" resentments going on. Having seen some truly terrible mediocre films that critics rave about like "Charlie's Angels" and "Forty days and forty nights" these films that no critic has the b*lls to slag off for fear they won't be invited to more screenings, well boo hoo! I have no cross to bear in that department and this is a film that is funny when it wants to be, it means well, and, whilst it is a tad predictable, the same age group of kids that liked "Dr Dolittle" will certainly like this, especially appropriate for younger children who may find "WALL-E" hard going, bearing in mind it is great for adults and older children, but not necessarily very young kids. P

Critics are just jumping on the bandwagon to attack this film, it really isn't as bad as the examples I've mentioned. The only drawback in this film is that the effects aren't particularly great at a number of points but better to have a film that's okay with poor effects than poor with okay effects.

If your family enjoyed Firehouse Dog, and the silly humour of that, chances are they'll like this.

Family Fun

I have hated most Eddie Murphy's "family movies", but this one took me a little by surprise. It was a real family movie that appeals to both young and old alike. Many others have gone into detail on this film, so I won't.

But I think it really helped that I was in the right frame of mind for this one... I just didn't expect anything good to come of this and the trailer didn't help. It made the movie look real dumb and I took a pass on this one for a long time. It made it look like a goofy comedy without any real heart and it dose have heart as the aliens begin to be corrupted by human emotions. So for some real family fun, you should check this one out.

Another great kids film by Eddie Murphy! :D A funny film which has an interesting plot and is great for people of all ages My little sister loved it and laughed pretty much all the way through.

I don't know how people can write bad reviews on such a great film! It may not be the most exciting film in the world but hey! it's better then most. Has some great acting by most of the cast including Elizabeth Banks and Eddie Murphy.

The film had a great ending and people shouldn't listen to the negative feedback :)

-Jade-

It is rare for me to feel so strongly about something that I actually register on a website JUST to add my own comment to it. Well, this is what I just did here on IMDb because.... this movie rocks. I'm looking at the ratings breakdown and almost half of the votes are 1 out of 10 while the other half is evenly spread over ratings from 2 to 10. Is it just me or does someone want to bring this gem of a movie down? o_O

Eddie Murphy is awesome as both Dave (the ship) and its captain, and the supporting cast is brilliant...I smiled throughout the whole movie and had some real laughs, the plot is tight with no real holes I could make out, AND... whoever it was that said the whole premise is silly and laughable is forgetting one important thing about these kind of movies: They're fantasy entertainment.

And on that basis, "Meet Dave" works. Humor, warmth, a friendship/self-confidence message, faith in the good in humans, it's all there and wonderfully done. Of course the plot is more than unlikely, but that's the beauty of movies in general - they can take you to an imaginary world and let you be amazed at the "what-ifs."

It's just such a shame that most people aren't even going to bother seeing this once they glance at the IMDb rating. As for me, I can't wait for the DVD release. It rocks, from the first minute to the last.

Welcome back, Eddie Murphy :)