What was Eddie Murphy thinking? said Barry Paris in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He's just received an Academy Award nomination for an impeccable performance in Dreamgirls, but Norbit threatens to dampen the buzz. In this knockoff of his Nutty Professor movies, the talented comedian debases himself. 'œWhy, barely a few months after regaining respect in such a good film and role, would he throw it away again?' The guy must be a glutton for punishment, said Gene Seymour in Newsday. In Norbit, he plays three roles: the submissive title character; the obese, ill-tempered Rasputia; and a Chinese stereotype named Mr. Wong. Norbit is unhappily married to Rasputia, who regularly crushes him with her enormous body and is especially demanding in the bedroom. We've seen this shtick before, in The Nutty Professor and The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps, but this time, it's not even a little funny. 'œWhat seemed an inventive and engaging stretch of Murphy's comedic resources 11 years ago has congealed into predictable, processed fare.' Only one member of the Norbit team 'œcan hold his head high,' said Sam Adams in the Los Angeles Times. That's makeup artist Rick Baker, whose computer-generated cellulite looks exactly like the real thing. At Oscar time next year, Baker's the only one who can hope for a nod.
Rating: PG-13
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