4.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.6 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
It's Eddie Murphy "as you love to see him!" in this gut-bustingly funny movie that displays his comedic genius in multiple roles! Murphy star as mild-mannered Norbit, who gets a second chance at love with his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton, "The Pursuit of Happyness"). But there's one huge obstacle: jealous, mean-tempered Rasputia (Murphy), who wants Norbit all to her sizeable self. Can Norbit win the heart of Kate… before Rasputia put the hurt on him? With an all-star cast including Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Jerry Maguire"), Marlon Wayans ("White Chicks") and Eddie Griffin ("Date Movie").
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thandiwe Newton, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Lester SpeightComedy | 100% |
Romance | 21% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
How you doin'?
Some movies seem to lack even a smidgen of a point. Norbit is such a film. It really has
no reason at all to exist, save possibly to allow star Eddie Murphy (Meet Dave) to dress
up in another fat suit. This is at least the third time he's donned the 5XL bodysuit, with only
the
first, The Nutty Professor, serving as better-than-average entertainment. Murphy has
become a caricature of sorts, even if the majority of his films really don't see the
comedian
donning bodysuits or playing multiple roles. Nevertheless, the name "Eddie Murphy" nowadays
instantly brings to mind grossly exaggerated physical and verbal performances that flop more
often
than not. Long gone are the smooth, slick days of Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hrs.,
and Trading Places,
replaced
by a shell of a once-brilliant talent that shows only glimpses of his comedic genius.
Norbit may represent the very bottom of the barrel of Murphy's career. Thankfully for
him and his fans, there is nowhere to go but up after this outing.
Where's the one ton dually when you need it?
DreamWorks squeezes Norbit onto Blu-ray with a decent but ultimately underwhelming 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Colors are seen aplenty, and they look nice, but aren't quite as robust as one might expect, clearly lacking in vibrancy. The entire image looks just the slightest bit hazy at best and downright foggy in a few scenes, though such seems to be the intended look of the film. It's often overblown with high contrast that gives it a warm and slightly unnatural appearance. Detail is appreciably high across the board. Clothing reveals most every stitch, and building façades or tree trunks showcase fine textures. There is a noticeable amount of grain over much the image. Blacks and flesh tones are generally solid. Norbit is bright and colorful, but that doesn't really translate to a show-stopping transfer on Blu-ray.
DreamWorks presents Norbit on Blu-ray with a bland Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The audio presentation is terribly average, with little to become excited about. The wedding reception scene near the beginning of the film is incredibly weak, sonically; Mr. Wong's toast may as well have been recorded in a can. It's hollow and uninteresting, and one can barely tell it's being amplified through a microphone. Ambient noise at the wedding -- laughter, for example -- is completely front heavy and barely has room to breathe. The track opens up slightly here and there, but the mix rarely strays from the center channel. Even the score and popular music tunes seem mostly focused in the center channel. The track only enjoys a few scattered surround effects and bass, both experienced mostly during the water park sequence. Dialogue reproduction is fine, clear and intelligible in every scene, easily the highlight of the mix. Norbit offers listeners a terribly uninteresting soundtrack.
This Blu-ray release of Norbit leaves precious few supplements for viewers to devour. The Making of 'Norbit' (1080p, 21:33) looks at the development of the film, the inspiration for it, the cast, the characters they portray, the special effects, and make-up. Man of 1,000 Faces (480p, 4:04) looks at the extensive work of make-up artist Rick Baker. Power Tap (1080p, 4:50) is a mock-informercial for the "Power Tap" routine as seen in the film. The Stunts of 'Norbit' (1080p, 11:51) takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the stunt work seen in the film. This supplemental package is concluded by a series of 14 deleted scenes (1080p, 8:29), a photo gallery, and the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 1:56).
One look at the box tells potential viewers all they need to know about Norbit. It's really no deeper than the image of a large woman suffocating a skinny man. There is a minimalist, generic plot; forgettable and heavily stereotyped characters; a bland script; and boring direction. It definitely has a few moments that work, and it is thanks to those that the film avoids the worst possible rating, but other than a few decent scenes here and there, Norbit is completely forgettable, much like the Blu-ray disc it finds itself on. DreamWorks presents Norbit with a decent video transfer, a bland Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and a few throwaway supplements. Pass.
2009
2008
2009
2011
Mastered in 4K
2013
Collector's Edition
2023
2007
Unrated
2015
2009
2002
2004
2004
Special Edition
2008
Movie Only Edition
2011
2011
2016
Unrated
2005
2018
Theatrical Version
2005
2006