Norbit (Eddie Murphy) has never had it easy. As a baby, he was abandoned on the steps of a Chinese restaurant/orphanage and raised by Mr. Wong (Eddie Murphy). Things get worse when he?s forced into marriage by the mean, ... more »junk food-chugging queen, Rasputia (Eddie Murphy). Just when Norbit?s hanging by his last thread, his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton), moves back to town. In the comedy Norbit, he?ll show them all that nice guys sometimes finish first.« less
Scott T. Rivers | Los Angeles, CA USA | 02/17/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Viewers must be starved for comedy to endure Eddie Murphy's wretched tour-de-farce. Makeup wizard Rick Baker is the real star of "Norbit" - allowing Murphy to portray a variety of characters with diminishing results. After his standout performance in "Dreamgirls," it's appalling that Murphy (who co-wrote this fiasco) would squander his talents in such a grotesque fashion. Furthermore, he doesn't need elaborate makeup to showcase his versatility. Skip this comic nightmare and revisit Murphy's brilliant work on "Saturday Night Live.""
So Funny!!!!
MAURICE MILLIGAN | HOUSTON, TEXAS | 06/06/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"People who compare this role to the role Eddie played in Dreamgirls are silly, these are 2 totally different movies. Norbit is crude humor at it's best, if you are easily offended or looking for a serious drama, don't purchase or rent this movie and the nutty professor, it is not! Eddie plays multiple roles excellently as we know, the film also stars Cuba Goodin Jr.,Thandie Newton and a hilarious cameo from Marlon Wayans, not much substance as far as a plot is concerned , not a love story -just a raunchy, crude performance by Eddie Murphy but hilarious nonetheless and funny is actually and understatement."
Redefining badness
Roland E. Zwick | Valencia, Ca USA | 07/22/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"*1/2
For 102 mind-numbing minutes, "Norbit" plays like one long fat-person joke told over and over again in the vain hope that even if it wasn`t funny the first time, it will somehow improve with the repetition.
Eddie Murphy continues the shtick he started with "The Nutty Professor" of playing numerous characters in various guises buried under tons of prosthetic makeup. In "Norbit," Murphy appears as three characters: Norbit, the nerdy orphan who's never learned to stand up for himself; Rasputia, the obese shrew who ropes Norbit into marrying her; and Mr. Wong, the owner of the orphanage, who raised Norbit after he was unceremoniously dropped off there by his parents one fateful night in the late 1960`s. Norbit is all grown up now and living in a squeaky-clean, candy-colored, studio backlot small town inexplicably inhabited by both white-bread types straight out of Middle America and stripe-suited, Cadillac-driving street pimps fresh from the `hood.
There's no point in denying Murphy's skill at mimicry and impersonation, since the evidence is there in spades for all to see in "The Nutty Professor." But then "The Nutty Professor" gave Murphy an actual, honest-to-God screenplay off of which he could build his routines. In the case of "Norbit," if the studio had spent even a tenth of the time and effort on coming up with a good script as it did on designing fat suits and CGI-enhanced prosthetics, this might have been a decent comedy. As it is, it's just loud, obnoxious and offensive and wastes the talents of Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Marlon Wayans and Eddie Griffin into the bargain. Of course, as co-writer of the screenplay, Murphy has really no one but himself to blame for his being trapped in this fiasco.
When the only source of humor is making fun of fat people, and when that one note is played over and over and over again to ever diminishing results, you know it's time to cash in your chips and move on. The problem for "Norbit" is that a bad joke remains a bad joke - no matter how many times you tell it."
It's Comedy People!!!!
Woody | 03/12/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have read the other reviews for this movie and I have to say, the movie is not that bad. IT'S COMEDY!!!! It is not a movie to kiss or cuddle up to. You are suppose to burst your gut. The plot of the story is very good. It is about a geeky orphan who growns up and becomes married to his long life bossy, ungrateful partner Rasputia. When Norbit was a young orphan, he had a childhood love named Kate. Well Kate got adoption when they were about about six years old and Norbit did not see her again until they were in their mid 30's maybe, at that time Norbit was already married to Rasputia and he hated the married and Rasputia. In this movie Norbit is just a caring, geeky guy who has seemed to married the wrong girl. He gets a chance to try to rekindle his love for Kate when she comes back into town, but he has a big problem, Rasputia. Also Kate come back into town with a con artist boyfriend, but she does not know he is a con. Throughout the movie there are jokes set in place to make it a comedy of course, but it's more to the movie than what people are saying. This movie takes you into a unnoticable close community and you really feel the love towards the end of the movie.
Eddie is just being the Eddie we all love. But the movie is not bad at all. I feel sorry for the people who thought they were going to see a drama or something, and got a suprise when they saw unusual, unruly, acts that do not normally happen in real life lol! IT'S COMEDY! So if you are open minded about a comedy movie I suggest you see this movie. I really enjoyed the scenes, the actors, the setting, and the plot; they all fit together nicely. Eddie is a great actor period....
But everybody have different taste, you know. I am going to buy this movie when it comes out. :)"
How You Doin!?!?
YJM | Somewhere In The South | 03/31/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Oh man I had a ball with this one. Yes it was panned by the critics but I found it to be genuinely funny at times. Raspustia was such an over the top character, she couldn't help but make me laugh. Her scene with Marlon Wayons at the gym and then afterwards when Norbit catches them at home was hysterical. The gorgeous and classy Thandie Newton was a delight, and certainly easy on the eyes.
Was it a great movie, no. Was it one of Eddie's best, not by a long shot. Would it make a welcome addition to your Eddie Murphy libary, absolutely. It's funny, light hearted stuff not to be taken seriously in the least. Approach it with that frame of mind and you'll be fine. I would own it just for Eddie's portrayl of Rasputia and Mr Wong alone. Talk about amazing makeup work by Mr. Baker."