GENERAL RAMBLINGS

Remember the '80s? A time of fluro. A time of big hair. A time of Eddie Murphy ... Not that he really ever wore fluro ... or had big hair for that matter.

But the former Saturday Night Live star was the King of Hollywood. From the time he burst onto the big screen, he enjoyed hit after hit, with his then edgy, confrontational humour.

First there was 48 Hours, then Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop 1 and 2, The Golden Child and Coming to America.




But as time ticked over into the '90s, the movie-going public turned away in their droves.

He did his first romantic-comedy, Boomerang, with some success but then things went horribly wrong.

Murphy simply stopped being cool.
Maybe it was about the time he got caught with the ... Actually, we'll leave that alone.

But, if it wasn't for several turns as the family vet, the family professor and the family donkey in the last 15 years, he might well have been forced into making a TV sit-com (Murphy's Law, an irreverent comedy about a dad trying to lay down the 'law' to his teenage children. Oh, how original) or, maybe even star in an episode of Where Are They Now?

Murphy's one saving grace has been the morally-rich 'family movie' - talking to the animals as Dr Dolittle, talking as an animal as Donkey, or putting on a fat-suit as The Nutty Professor - for a few laughs.

It's a far cry from kicking bad guys' asses as Beverley Hills' favourite foul-mouthed young cop Axel Foley or receiving BJs while being bathed by beautiful women as Prince Hakeem of Zamunda.

But, a pay check's a pay check.




More recently he's won more brownie points with the kids for his work in Daddy Day Care, and probably should've won an Oscar for his serious supporting role in the critical-acclaimed Dreamgirls. Though he lost some respect when he had a hissy-fit after he was denied it.

Norbit (in which he donned the fat suit again and played two roles, again) performed surprisingly well at the box-office, but lulled studio execs into a false sense of security for the one-time wise-cracking kingpin.

This year's absolute disaster, Meet Dave, has proven once and for all if Murphy does not change his ways any shred of dignity the man still has will be gone for good.

Meet Dave was another lightweight comedy for the whole family to 'enjoy'.
The story centred on a group of tiny aliens, led by Murphy, exploring Earth via a vessel that looks like Murphy. It was promoted as 'Eddie Murphy in Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave'. Probably two too many Eddie Murphys for my liking. It was so bad Murphy didn't even bother to attend the LA premiere a couple of months back.

Murphy needs to adapt.

Okay Eddie, keep providing your voice to intelligent animated flicks (Shrek), but try some more dramatic roles ala Dreamgirls. Take a leaf out of Tom Hanks' book. I'm not his biggest fan, but due to his variety of work, at least the guy has still got some cred. Well, more than Eddie Murphy anyway.

Not going to happen though.

Next up for Murphy is NowhereLand, about a financial executive (Murphy) who can't stop his career from downspiralling is invited into his daughter's imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.
Can't wait for that one.

There is a Shrek Goes Fourth (clever title), but then there's a yet to be titled Romeo Juliet movie (what the...!) , followed by The Incredible Shrinking Man! Didn't he just do something like that in Meet Dave?

And, of course, there's, wait for it, Beverley Hills Cop 4.
Sigh.


EDDIE'S 8 WORST

THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH (2002)

Budget: $100,000,000
US Box Office: $4,420,080
Co-starring: Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson.
Murphy is on the comeback trail after the success of The Nutty Professor and Shrek, but falls flat on his face on the surface of the Moon in his very own futuristic sci-fi adventure. One of the biggest box-office flops in movie history.The movie was apparently on the studio's shelf for two years before it was finally released.


MEET DAVE (2008)

Budget: $60,000,000
US Box Office: $11,744,695
Co-starring: Gabrielle Union, Scott Caan.
Another lame sci-fi comedy. You would think he would've learnt his lesson the first time. Another of his popular fish-out-of-water story-lines. And another where he plays two characters. Enough already.


HOLY MAN (1998)

Budget: $60,000,000
US Box Office: $12,069,719
Co-starring: Jeff Goldblum, Kelly Preston
More like Holy Shit. Murphy stars as a televangelist G who tries to boost the ratings for a home shopping network. The late John Candy was originally cast as the main character. With all due respect, the movie probably should've died with him in 1993. The movie also sent co-star Jeff Goldblum's career into a downward spiral.


VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN (1995)

Budget: $40,000,000
US Box Office: $19,751,736
Co-starring: Angela Bassett, Allen Payne.
Directed by A Night on Elm Street's Wes Craven, it was the story of a Caribbean vampire looking for a bride in Brooklyn. Was it a comedy? Was it a horror? I don't know, but it was bad. Apparently Craven wasn't happy with the way Murphy played the main character. He wanted him vulnerable but Murphy insisted he showcase his 'comedic talents'.


METRO (1997)

Budget: $55,000,000
US Box Office: $32,000,301
Co-starring: Michael Rapaport, Michael Wincott.
I, personally, give Murphy a tick here. Under-rated action-thriller, with genuine actions and genuine thrills, in which he is back on duty for the police force as a hostage negotiator. It's a more serious Murphy at work and he pulls it off. Even if viewers weren't ready for it. This was no Axel Foley-type role. The film has one kick-ass tram chase scene down San Francisco. Terrible movie poster though.


I SPY (2002)

Budget: $70,000,000
US Box-Office: $33,561,137
Co-starring: Owen Wilson, Famke Janssen
Another of Murphy's regulars - the buddy movie - with Wilson. The line-up looked good on paper, but failed miserably on film. Ho-hum script. They played a smartmouth boxer (guess who?) and a bumbling undercover agent who must team up to stop an international arms dealer. Have you ever wanted the 'heroes' to die? They were both so annoying!


SHOWTIME (2002)

Budget: $85,000,000
US Box-Office: $38,082, 712
Co-starring: Robert De Niro, William Shatner
De Niro is partially to blame for this failure. Enough with the grizzled old cop bit. Murphy at his annoying, obnoxious worst doesn't help. Two complete opposite cops are forced to team up for a reality TV show. If this movie was Twins with De Niro's other celebrity cop movie of the time, 15-Minutes, this would be like the Danny De Vito one.


BEVERLY HILLS COP III (1994)

Budget $70,00,000
US Box-Office: $42,614,912
Co-starring: Judge Reinhold, Hector Elizondo
Not so much an unnecessary sequel but just simply a dud. The end of once respected director John Landis (Animal House, Trading Places, An American Werewolf in London), who's only made Blues Brothers 2000 since. The movie just wasn't the same without hard-ass cops Taggart (John Ashton) and Bogomil (Ronny Cox).