No one was expecting much when Eddie Murphy remade the Jerry Lewis movie "The Nutty Professor," so the touching, funny result was a surprise. And it raised expectations for this sequel -- which is nearly a total disaster. All the wrong elements have been emphasized; we see ENTIRELY too much of the professor's family; the jokes are extremely crude and obvious throughout; instead of sympathizing with the characters, we're invited to regard them as grotesque and ludicrous. A running gag centers on the impotence of Sherman's father (also Eddie Murphy, of course) and the horniness of his toothless grandmother (also Eddie Murphy, of course). Sherman's mother (also Eddie Murphy, of course) does little other than clap her hands and moon over her brilliant son. Sherman's brother (also Eddie Murphy, of course) is given nothing to do. What's really surprising is that even Buddy Love (also Eddie Murphy, of course) appears so little, and has a different, less interesting personality; before he was a mean, dangerous egotist; now he's a silly, prankish egotist. (There's one element about Buddy, regarding a dog, that's actually quite funny, and semi-original).
As Sherman Klump, Murphy is occasionally quite moving, but this is rare here; instead, most of the time this sequel robs him of the most surprising and worthwhile aspect of the Nutty Professor the first Murphy time around: his dignity. Even when -- never mind why -- Sherman starts losing the major source of his pride, his intelligence, the movie laughs at him. This is a shamefully bad treatment of a good character.
As Sherman Klump, Murphy is occasionally quite moving, but this is rare here; instead, most of the time this sequel robs him of the most surprising and worthwhile aspect of the Nutty Professor the first Murphy time around: his dignity. Even when -- never mind why -- Sherman starts losing the major source of his pride, his intelligence, the movie laughs at him. This is a shamefully bad treatment of a good character.