I’ve always said that if Eddie Murphy was the last person on earth, there would be no issue because he could just play everyone. Well, he’s back again, with more screen time than ever. It is possible that there isn’t one scene that he isn’t in. How is this possible? Unlike The Fugitive, Murphy’s on-screen time isn’t a result of the nature of the story, but simply because he chose to play a modest three characters (a laughable number in comparison to the 49 or so that he played in The Nutty Professor 2: the Klumps).
Much like Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence and Monique, Eddie Murphy has a strange infatuation with portraying fat black women, and like Mickey Rooney and Rob Schneider, has no shame in sporting Yellow Face to play an overly-stereotyped Asian man.
The plot of Norbit is roughly as follows: a black baby (Norbit) is thrown out of a car and adopted by an old Chinese man named Mr. Wong (because this movie exceeds creativity), and falls in love with another orphan girl (they share an intimate Ring Pop-related moment, despite the fact that the candy wouldn’t have existed for another ten years). In grade school, Norbit is saved from school yard bullies by a fat girl named Rasputia, who goes on to bully him into marriage, and essentially ruin his life from then on. Rasputia’s brother Big Black Jack (again with the creativity!) leads her other siblings in turning the orphanage into a strip club called Nipplopolis (Pulitzer, anyone?). Other than that, there isn’t really much semblance of a plot. Rasputia yells a lot and eats ribs, and Norbit looks awfully scared for most of the movie. Cuba Gooding Jr. is in the movie for some reason, too.
As far as I could tell, the first big joke in the film was at Norbit and Rasputia’s wedding, when Norbit notices that someone has eaten some of the cake. The camera whips over to the side and we see Rasputia fiddling with a plant. She turns her head, and- get ready for it: she has white icing all over her face! Then she says “I didn’t eat no damn cake!” Pure. Comic. Genius.
At one point, there actually seems to be a non-fat-woman-eating-cake-related plot point. Norbit is finally fed up with Rasputia and decides to leave, but before he can reach the sidewalk, Rasputia reveals that she is pregnant. The stakes have risen! Now Norbit has to stay! But lo and behold, come time for a scene at a fair, Norbit catches Rasputia drinking beer and objects. She reveals that she isn’t pregnant, and instead releases a massive fart, exclaiming “there’s your child. Get out of my face!” This may, in fact, be a cinematic first: she literally farted the plot away.
After a series of several more black, Asian and fat jokes, a plot begins to emerge through all the political incorrectness and cellulite. It is revealed that the orphan girl who once stole Norbit’s heart and licked his Ring Pop is getting married to a sleazy Cuba Gooding Jr. (apparently he was part of the story). Well, suffice to say that Norbit is quite distressed over this, as he overhears Cuba talking on the phone to his ex-wife (da-da-dum). If you think that the rest of the movie is just a lot of yelling on Rasputia’s part and a wedding between Norbit and Ring Pop girl, then you would be right, except you forgot to mention that at the end of the movie, Rasputia and her brothers head to Mexico and open El Nipplopolis (wow) with- guess who, as the headline performer.
It could be said that Norbit is a wet sandwich: you have all this great stuff in there, but like bread soaked in water, once you drop the ball (or sandwich in this case), all the good ingredients are totally wasted. Look at what this movie had: Eddie Murphy, an Oscar-nominated, world-renown comedian; Rick Baker on make up (he didn’t drop the sandwich at all- in fact he got an Oscar nomination for realistic back fat); Cuba Gooding Jr. (not particularly funny, but an Oscar-winner nonetheless) and a modest but experienced supporting cast (Marlon Wayans, Terry Crews, Eddie Griffin and Kat Williams). But, regardless of the fine quality cheese, thinly sliced roast beef and crisp lettuce you have, wet bread is not something you’re willing to eat- no matter what is in there.
Much like Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence and Monique, Eddie Murphy has a strange infatuation with portraying fat black women, and like Mickey Rooney and Rob Schneider, has no shame in sporting Yellow Face to play an overly-stereotyped Asian man.
The plot of Norbit is roughly as follows: a black baby (Norbit) is thrown out of a car and adopted by an old Chinese man named Mr. Wong (because this movie exceeds creativity), and falls in love with another orphan girl (they share an intimate Ring Pop-related moment, despite the fact that the candy wouldn’t have existed for another ten years). In grade school, Norbit is saved from school yard bullies by a fat girl named Rasputia, who goes on to bully him into marriage, and essentially ruin his life from then on. Rasputia’s brother Big Black Jack (again with the creativity!) leads her other siblings in turning the orphanage into a strip club called Nipplopolis (Pulitzer, anyone?). Other than that, there isn’t really much semblance of a plot. Rasputia yells a lot and eats ribs, and Norbit looks awfully scared for most of the movie. Cuba Gooding Jr. is in the movie for some reason, too.
As far as I could tell, the first big joke in the film was at Norbit and Rasputia’s wedding, when Norbit notices that someone has eaten some of the cake. The camera whips over to the side and we see Rasputia fiddling with a plant. She turns her head, and- get ready for it: she has white icing all over her face! Then she says “I didn’t eat no damn cake!” Pure. Comic. Genius.
At one point, there actually seems to be a non-fat-woman-eating-cake-related plot point. Norbit is finally fed up with Rasputia and decides to leave, but before he can reach the sidewalk, Rasputia reveals that she is pregnant. The stakes have risen! Now Norbit has to stay! But lo and behold, come time for a scene at a fair, Norbit catches Rasputia drinking beer and objects. She reveals that she isn’t pregnant, and instead releases a massive fart, exclaiming “there’s your child. Get out of my face!” This may, in fact, be a cinematic first: she literally farted the plot away.
After a series of several more black, Asian and fat jokes, a plot begins to emerge through all the political incorrectness and cellulite. It is revealed that the orphan girl who once stole Norbit’s heart and licked his Ring Pop is getting married to a sleazy Cuba Gooding Jr. (apparently he was part of the story). Well, suffice to say that Norbit is quite distressed over this, as he overhears Cuba talking on the phone to his ex-wife (da-da-dum). If you think that the rest of the movie is just a lot of yelling on Rasputia’s part and a wedding between Norbit and Ring Pop girl, then you would be right, except you forgot to mention that at the end of the movie, Rasputia and her brothers head to Mexico and open El Nipplopolis (wow) with- guess who, as the headline performer.
It could be said that Norbit is a wet sandwich: you have all this great stuff in there, but like bread soaked in water, once you drop the ball (or sandwich in this case), all the good ingredients are totally wasted. Look at what this movie had: Eddie Murphy, an Oscar-nominated, world-renown comedian; Rick Baker on make up (he didn’t drop the sandwich at all- in fact he got an Oscar nomination for realistic back fat); Cuba Gooding Jr. (not particularly funny, but an Oscar-winner nonetheless) and a modest but experienced supporting cast (Marlon Wayans, Terry Crews, Eddie Griffin and Kat Williams). But, regardless of the fine quality cheese, thinly sliced roast beef and crisp lettuce you have, wet bread is not something you’re willing to eat- no matter what is in there.
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