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Movies / On DVD / Meet Dave
Meet Dave

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Meet Dave (2008)

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Reviews Counted:95

Fresh:18

Rotten:77

Average Rating:4.1/10

Consensus: Easy gags and slack direction drag this occasionally clever alien-out-of-planet comedy down to unimaginative lows.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for bawdy and suggestive humor, action and some language.

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:18-07-2008

Synopsis: Actor-turned-director Brian Robbins (VARSITY BLUES, THE PERFECT SCORE) is at the helm of comedian Eddie Murphy's alien adventure, MEET DAVE. Murphy stars as the minuscule captain of an alien... Actor-turned-director Brian Robbins (VARSITY BLUES, THE PERFECT SCORE) is at the helm of comedian Eddie Murphy's alien adventure, MEET DAVE. Murphy stars as the minuscule captain of an alien spaceship that lands on Earth in the shape of a human being that looks just like him. The tiny crew is responsible for making the spaceship look and act like a human being as they search for a powerful orb that went off course and landed in Manhattan. Along the way, the captain--aka Dave--is befriended by Josh (Austyn Lind Myers), a fifth-grade boy who is being raised by his artist mother, Gina (Elizabeth Banks), since the death of his heroic Naval officer father. Although Dave and his crew land on Earth believing that the human race is inferior, they soon realize that there is something to be said for emotions, feelings, and friendship. The fun in this film lies in watching the spaceship Murphy try to assimilate as a human. His exaggerated facial expressions are priceless, and his skill at physical comedy is apparent throughout the film. Dave is a sponge soaking up everything around him. The crew's attempts to understand human culture are also amusing, as they get most of their cultural information from Google and Yahoo. Gabrielle Union stars as No. 3, the cultural officer, while Ed Helms is No 2., the second in command who thinks that his captain is adapting to Earth way too easily. Kevin Hart is No. 17, the crew member charged with dealing with many of the spaceship's internal functions. [More]

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, Scott Caan

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, Scott Caan, Ed Helms, Kevin Hart

Director: Brian Robbins

Director: Brian Robbins
Screenwriter: Rob Greenberg, Bill Corbett
Producer: Jon Berg, Todd Komarnicki, David T. Friendly
Composer: John Debney
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Reviews for Meet Dave

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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There's a delicious irony to the way in which this supposedly heartwarming comedy gives the impression of having itself been devised by a race of extra-terrestrials with only a tentative grasp of what constitutes heart or humour.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/18/08
Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With a lazy script that uses the cheapest gags and most obvious plot points, this is yet another big Hollywood movie that squanders a strong premise on a badly undercooked vanity project.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment 2 Comments
07/10/08
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Avoid like the plague.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/25/08
Simon Crook
Simon Crook
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The puzzler that is Eddie Murphy's career continues apace with this low-fi kiddy-oriented affair featuring the comedian as both a human-shaped spaceship called Dave Ming-chang and the commander of said vessel.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
10/18/08
Fionnuala Halligan
Fionnuala Halligan
Screen International

Even for a high-concept, lowbrow summer release Meet Dave is drab, shoddy work.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
07/16/08
Tom Huddleston
Tom Huddleston
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Doug Cooper - There's the odd chuckle to be had, it's fast-paced and colourful ... but overall it's over-stuffed and chaotic.

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
07/17/08
Victor Olliver
Victor Olliver
Teletext

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.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment 1 Comment
07/18/08
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Meet Dave pays lip service to the joys of exploring new worlds, but it never steps off the tour bus.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
07/11/08
Sam Adams
Sam Adams
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Wholly bland entertainment that never rises above sitcom humor.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment 2 Comments
07/14/08
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

Not as crass as Norbit, but as forgettable.

Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | comment Comment
07/14/08
Sandie Angulo Chen
Sandie Angulo Chen
Common Sense Media

As in too many of his recent films, he comes off as a pampered superstar going through the paces of an unending ego trip.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment 1 Comment
07/11/08
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The summer popcorn flick manages to deliver more than the standard sci-fi send-up, thanks to a solid supporting cast -- most of whom come from TV -- that help bolster Murphy's average work.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
07/11/08
Linda Barnard
Linda Barnard
Toronto Star

The new film is mildly amusing family entertainment, but when discussing the career of one of our most seasoned comic actors, "mildly amusing" can only be regarded as a letdown.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/18/08
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

This is made-for-TV material dressed up by Eddie Murphy's participation into a theatrical release.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
10/18/08
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Like an awkward party guest who hopes you will be charmed by his earnest effort to overcome his lack of social graces, and just when you're on the verge ... he belches loudly and rudely - and expects you to think he's both cute and funny.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment 2 Comments
07/12/08
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

Director Brian Robbins keeps things moving along briskly and maintains a genial air throughout; all that plus an air-conditioned theatre makes Meet Dave a good bet for family viewing.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment 1 Comment
07/11/08
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

Murphy far outshines the material.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
07/16/08
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Not much about Meet Dave is memorable, so I'm having trouble remembering.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
07/11/08
Paul Byrnes
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald

Eddie, it's time to start thinking big again.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
07/10/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

There are other things that Meet Dave is better than... like famine, disease and genocide... but not by much.

Full Review Source: Film School Rejects | comment 1 Comment
07/11/08
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
Film School Rejects
 
 
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Latest News for Meet Dave

January 21, 2009: Razzies Name 2008's Worst Movie Nominees
No awards season would be complete without the Golden Raspberry Awards (AKA The Razzies), awarded each year to the very worst movies to hit Hollywood. This year's winners will... More...

September 02, 2008: RT's Summer in Review: The Best, The Worst, and Our Favorite Films!
The summer movie season of 2008 ended last weekend, and boy, was it a good one. Led by box office smashes like Iron Man, Wall-E, and The Dark Knight, Hollywood raked in the... More...

August 12, 2008: 2008: Fox's Cruel Summer Opens in new window
For the first time in over a decade, Fox has made it into August without producing a $100 million summer hit. More...

July 15, 2008: Moviegoers Refuse to Meet Dave Opens in new window
Buried in bad reviews and ignored by moviegoers, Meet Dave will go down as one of the biggest flops of the summer. How did it happen, and what's next for Eddie Murphy's career? More...

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