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.
Meet Dave (2008)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for Meet Dave
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.
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.
Doug Cooper - There's the odd chuckle to be had, it's fast-paced and colourful ... but overall it's over-stuffed and chaotic.
Even for a high-concept, lowbrow summer release Meet Dave is drab, shoddy work.
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.
...one could certainly do much worse as far as Murphy's family-friendly output goes.
If you think Eddie Murphy lost his mojo about 20 years ago and has been lacking clear comedic judgment ever since, then you've got to see this for confirmation. Or maybe not.
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.
This is made-for-TV material dressed up by Eddie Murphy's participation into a theatrical release.
den hanei stigmi ap' ta matia toy to one-joke thema toy, kai agkomahaei mehri to telos na soy anamasisei ayta ta mikra paraksena pragmata poy mas kanoyn anthropoys ki enas eksogiinos tha ebriske paranoika
A movie starring Eddie Murphy used to mean something good. Now it just means that you should avoid anything he does at all costs. MEET DAVE is a disaster of epic proportions.
Heralding a return to form for Eddie Murphy, this cleverly conceived and executed sci-fi comedy offers plenty of laughs for all ages. The considerable challenge for the filmmakers was to streamline three realities and make each one credible.
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August 12, 2008:
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July 15, 2008:
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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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