The Nutty Professor (1996) - 7 stars out of 10

The Nutty Professor (1996) - 7 stars out of 10

With the talented ensemble of Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy, and Eddie Murphy, "The Nutty Professor" is non-stop laughter.  I had a low expectation as I prepared for Murphy's crude humor mixed with a long string of fat jokes, but the scenes with the Klump family (all played by Murphy) are so hysterical that a strong plot isn't necessary.  Although the make-up received a lot of credit for the success of Murphy's many characters by netting an Oscar for Best Make-Up, it is truly Murphy's pure acting skill that makes the Klump sequences so amazing.  He portrays a grandmother, a mother, a father, a brother, and his own obese persona in a single scene, giving each character a definitive personality while interacting with his other family members around a dinner table.  The script finds a good balance between fat jokes, fart jokes, storyline, and sentimentality.  There isn't much character development but it isn't really necessary when so many strong personalities are portrayed.  Outside of Murphy, Jada Pinkett Smith is looking very good and Larry Miller is as over-the-top as he is in Christopher Guest's mockumentaries.  Dave Chappelle was annoying but I was glad to see him get what he deserved.  "The Nutty Professor" certainly isn't a life-changing film but is sure to keep you laughing from start to finish thanks to the impressive acting of Eddie Murphy.
P.S. Don't miss the outtakes during the credits - they may be the best part!