Three out of
Five stars
Running time:
90 mins
Likeable sci-fi comedy with some nice ideas and two surprisingly charming performances from Eddie Murphy, though it's not as funny as it could have been.
What's it all about?
Eddie Murphy stars as the tiny alien captain of an Eddie Murphy-shaped robot-slash-spaceship (which makes this - ha ha! - an Eddie Murphy vehicle), who crash-lands in New York in pursuit of a mysterious orb, which holds the key to saving his home planet. With the help of his loyal crew (including Ed Helms and Gabrielle Union), the captain attempts to navigate the ship around New York without being detected.
Unfortunately, the mission hits a snag when the ship is run over by single mom Gina (Elizabeth Banks) and her young son, Josh (Austyn Myers). However, when it turns out that Josh knows the location of the orb, the captain decides to befriend them, naming the robot Dave Ming-Chang (after Googling the planet's most common names) and learning several lessons about Earth along the way.
The Good
The plot is delightfully original (although not if you've ever read The Numbskulls, or seen Herman's Head) and the concept works surprisingly well, thanks to some nifty special effects work and a terrific performance by Eddie Murphy as the robot Dave. Murphy has obviously learned the lesson of his previous movies and rather than play every crew member himself, he allows a strong supporting cast to nab several of the film's best lines.
In addition, Murphy gives a surprisingly charming performance as the stiffly by-the-book captain, who gradually loosens up and learns what it means to be human. Similarly, Banks and Myers both deliver warm-hearted performances that work well.
The Bad
The main problem is that the finale feels rushed and the film isn't as funny as it should have been, though it is consistently amusing and its out-and-out weirdness goes some way to compensating for the lack of big laughs.
Worth seeing?
Easily Murphy's best film since The Nutty Professor, this is a surprisingly charming comedy that's worth seeing for its sheer weirdness alone.