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Well would you IMAGINE THAT, Massawyrm says this is worth skipping!!
Hola all. Massawyrm here.
Seriously. Were any of you actually thinking of seeing this? At this point in his career, you can smell Eddie Murphy’s family comedies twenty steps outside the theater. He’s fallen into a pattern – right down to what jokes he’s going to tell and what faces he’s going to make. There appear to be two, distinctly different Eddie Murphy’s. The talented actor/comedian. And the guy who shows up to collect his checks. His latest film, IMAGINE THAT, stars the latter.
This is not a terrible movie. But it isn’t really any good either. If you don’t have a child under the age of ten accompanying you into the theater to see this, then really – what the hell are you doing there? There’s nothing here for you. This thing is so formulaic you can write it yourself. Murphy plays the modern day Disney Dad ™. You know the type. Dedicated to his family, overworks himself to the bone to provide for them, doesn’t quite understand his kid like his wife because he doesn’t spend every waking moment with them. You know, what Hollywood calls an asshole. And it’s up to some magical/divine intervention to show our Disney dad what a big asshole he is so he can ultimately tell his boss to go screw while he runs off to get ice cream and reconnect with his children.
This time that magical intervention is his daughter’s blanket, which provides sound financial advice/insider trading from beyond; all cleverly described in childish metaphors that Eddie Murphy and the people in his office have to decipher. Just imagine the joy of hearing Murphy rant about a company’s pants being pulled down to “show their underwear which is filled with poop,” and you begin to understand why (if you have no progeny running around in another room begging to see this) there is probably nothing here for you. Meanwhile, Thomas Hayden Church is running around as bad Native American stereotype/charlatan, spouting out platitudes about how we all live under one sky and need to shower ourselves in the waterfalls of capitol. You see, the idea is that it is supposed to be funny to watch two grown ass men run around and spout imaginary bullshit beliefs about how to pick stocks.
Insert your own joke about the collapse of our financial institution here. I figure if this movie isn’t going to try, why the fuck should I?
The only oddity worth noting is that someone thought it would be cool to fill the soundtrack with soft rock, severely pussy-fied versions of classic Beatles songs. I mean, when you can make a song so fucking tame that it makes the original “Here Comes the Sun” sound like a Metallica cover, you have missed the fucking point. It’s not a lullaby. They did this with I AM SAM a few years ago, but were wise enough to hire interesting bands to cover the songs. This is cinematic Ambien.
Look, this is not awful, but it is dull enough to bore anyone not actively trying to enjoy it with their kids. If you’re kids are clamoring for it, you’ll survive. It’s nowhere near as painful as DADDY DAY CARE – but once it vanishes from theaters I highly doubt anyone will remember it, let alone bring it up in conversation. It is the very baseline of milquetoast family entertainment. If you have the choice, see UP again. Otherwise, coffee up cowboy.
Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.
Massawyrm
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Damn nerdy posts.
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were he still alive. We should all be grateful he died when he did so his career and dignity wouldn't meet a fate like Adam Sandler or Eddie Murphy or any other SNL alums who ventured to the big screen. At least he went out on a few good notes. (Not saying his drug abuse was a good note, but his films were.)
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I liked the first 30 minutes though. I wouldn't download "Imagine That" for free.
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Then he said "goonie-goo-goo" and stuck a G.I. Joe up his ass.
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I mean with every new movie (with the exception of Dreamgirls), he knocks his reputation down another notch (sometime a couple of notches in the case of Meet Dave and Norbit). I don't get. There are a lot of actors out there who just don't seem to give a flip about the film legacy they will be leaving behind. Forget the paychecks, you have enough. Remember your legacy, guys.
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What the hell happened to these guys?
Eddie Murphy
Steve Martin (worst offender)
Bill Murray (makes some good movies now & then, but hasn't been funny in ages)
Bill's mate Dan Akyroyd
I'd add Chevy Chase to the list, but he's missing, presumed dead.
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Farley had one good movie, Tommy Boy. everything else was meh.
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what happened to you man, you were in Beverly hills cop and 48 hours. someone give him a fucking better comedy and resurrect his career from this continuous shitfest. fire your agent eddie, he's screwing you over. work with your brother! charlie murphy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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...a lot of good shit to see right now, even with little kids in tow. And then Imagine That comes out and jizzes all over that shit, making it runny and moist. Let's call it bad timing.
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I believe it's called Community. I'd argue about Bill Murray being on the used to be funny list. He's a different kind of funny now, one that involves better acting and films. At least he isn't slumming it like Martin and Murphy.
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So does that make it the first Eddie Murphy movie to get dumped? Probably. How many more years till he gets a sitcom? Somehow he's managed to stave that off and actually have hits despite Burt Reynolds-level taste in scripts (except Burt made one Boogie Nights).
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Murray seems to be doing a lot of Broken Flowerses and only a few Garfields. Eddie Murphy says "More Garfields!"
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I appreciate that you and the rest of the AICN lot have to see all the movies that come out, both good and bad. And it does take an objective mind to tell if a movie is good or not in spite of not being a part of its target audience. Not to mention, your signature pics rock.
So, I say to you sir: kudos. -
I wouldn't put Murray in quite the same category as Murphy, but he does still belong on the list in my opinion, simply by virtue of not being as funny as he was.
It's obviously intentional on his part, but then Pink Panther aside, it's also been intentional on Steve Martin's part.
It doesn't matter how talented they may be or why they aren't so funny anymore. They belong on the list for the very technical reason that they "used to be funny", but aren't so much now.
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This is an Axel Foley/Bogomil reunion. Not even Beverly Hills Cop 3 could boast that! Nevertheless, I'll still never see Imagine That.
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So don't you worry about Eddie. Any time his pockets get light, he can always just slap on the fat suit, make a shitty gross-out comedy, and boom, $300 million worldwide. The great comedian is unfortunately lost to time, however. Remember the 3-4 times in the last 10 years that he's hinted at going back out for stand-up tours? Remember how it's been a lie every time? Damn. "NOW THAT'S A FIRE!!!" Who knew that Charlie would become the funnier Murphy brother...WITHOUT Eddie dying?
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You're right, Massawyrm. Just as I've always wondered where the Hollywood Babysitter comes from, that mysterious person or force who takes care of a single mother's kids after the first act so she can go off and have romantic trysts or thrilling adventures in the second or third, I also have to wonder what the Disney Dad does for a living after he's told his boss he's quitting his job to spend more time with the kids. I also have to wonder how long it is before the little brats start blaming him because he can no longer afford frequent trips to Chuck E. Cheese or the latest X-Box release...
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On the Chapelle Show dvd ,I think the second season extra features, he does two stories without having a skit backing it up or anything and it kills. I could easily watch two or three hours of him telling stories of the shot that went down in the early eighties when Eddie was just getting huge. I hate Dave Chapelle for taking that away from me. Why do all of the real funny comedians insist on self destructing?
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Eddie Murphy loves money.
But seriously, if Eddie Murphy was a fan of comedy he would give some of his money to Charlie Murphy to write and star in a Charlie Murphy family comedy, which would be a hundred times better than the shit that he's trying to peddle. -
and they've both written better things, so I guess they too are in paycheck mode on this one. Karey Kirkpatrick (who was involved with "Over The Hedge", "Chicken Run", and "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy"), who directed this, should know better as well.
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Jun 11, 2009 10:45:36 AM CDT
"Imagine That" - A Disney Dad movie made by Paramount...
by filmcritic3000
maybe one day we'll get the actually funny Eddie Murphy back. One day, perhaps...
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WHAT A FUCKING SURPRISE! WOW! I'M FUCKING GOBSMACKED! CHEVY CHASE FUCKING RULES BY THE WAY! FUNNIEST FUCKER ALIVE!
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...I was watching "Daddy Day Care" with my daughter, then a commercial came on for "Imagine That" and I realized that jokes from from the former had actually been lifted for the latter, and said lifted jokes were actually FEATURED in the commercial. This is the level cookie-cutter comedy writing Murphy is involving himself in these days, so sad.
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Jun 11, 2009 11:19:20 AM CDT
Who is this man and what has he done with the real Eddie?
by mr nicholas
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Jun 11, 2009 11:31:31 AM CDT
Imagine if eddie just did some blistering standup, stoped the mo
by ironic_name
no pun intended.
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Jun 11, 2009 11:40:48 AM CDT
Martin obviously does shit films for the money
by shut the fuck up donny
but I think that's mostly to subsidize his endeavors in writing and music--other areas in which he's exceptionally talented.
Murphy, on the other hand, is greedy for greed's sake.
So I totally disagree with putting Martin in the same category as Murphy.
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Is it too soon to add Mike Myers?
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Use to love this guy as much as SCHWARZENEGGER and STALLONE! That was ages ago:(
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is AICN going to review the new Ghostbusters video game? Based on the things I've read so, I think it may nearly qualify as a movie in its own right and be worth a write-up or two by the guys at AICN.
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...that came up with this one?
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Between master of disguise and his last stand up special, he deserves it.
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Jun 11, 2009 11:48:24 AM CDT
What *was* the last R-rated Eddie Murphy movie, anyways?
by nasty in the pasty
Metro? That was TWELVE YEARS ago.I'm also sick of the irresponsible family movie cliche about how any father (NEVER the mother, of course) who busts his ass at the office to put food on his kid's plate is always portrayed as a thoughtless grump. Hey, given a choice between not seeing my dad much and BEING OUT ON THE FUCKING STREET, I'd take the former any day. ESPECIALLY in the current economic climate, this kind of plot thing pisses me off. Hey, you ungrateful, snot-nosed brat, you like this GIANT apartment and all your expensive toys? Yeah? Then fuck off and let me earn the money that pays for all of it.
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It's the relevance. I don't think Murphy needs the money at all but given his lack of being able to find a niche like other aging actors with intermittent talent, he's just making sure he's visible. I think once you've made some money in Hollywood that your first paranoia is public/cinmatic relevance as that would be followed by lack of work and finally..lack of coin. That and of course studios can still cash in on his generic family entertainment bank-ability.Mike Myers is probably going through the same thing. Guy has more money than the lesser gods from Shrek yet they're making another pointless and needless sequel...and they'll make another after that. Shit, I bet he revisits Austin Powers or tries to in the next decade. As long as they show even a tiny profit, they'll keep greenlighting them and these actors, many of whom do not deserve their perceived/potential impending obscurity (read: Murphy), are just trying to stay in the camera eye.
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I wish Eddie would just do something in between all these terrible films, something with quality that proves his relevance in the 21st century comedy community. It's like he's working incredibly hard at trying to bury his career. Maybe he and Steve Martin made a bet on who could ruin their film career first? And they're both still going strong, sadly.
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that cant get here soon enough
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Best signature drawing yet, but couldn't the pencil lines be erased?
There's a story about the making of "Another 48 Hours." Murphy talked with Nick Nolte about doing some serious acting in the sorts of small pictures Nolte did much of the time. Nolte said that Murphy might want to try that, and that the average budget for such films was less than Murphy's typical salary.
"Oh, I couldn't cut my salary," Murphy supposedly said. -
http://tiny.cc/tC92C
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He needs his own show, movie, whatever!
About Daddy Day Care... oh shit. I somehow ended up in a theater with some friends watching that trash. We walked out after 15 minutes and into Matrix Reloaded (which I had already seen, btw). I still ask my friend what the fuck he was thinking when he suggested going to see Daddy Day Care. I thought he knew something I didn't at the time. -
who has fallen from greatness more? Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy or Chevy Chase?
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Fucking sell out.
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Jun 11, 2009 1:14:05 PM CDT
Eddie Murphy was only funny when Political Correctness didn't ex
by v'shael
Remember the shit he used to tell on stage? His anti-gay rants? "Hey Norton! Why don't you, come over here, and fuck me up the ass?"
Or his bit about how gay men are the best friends women have, but they might give them a kiss and come home with AIDS on their lips?
You know... fuck that, he was never funny. -
not you ratner, but someone else bring it on and rate it R.
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1) Writers Strike. This would have been his first film after the strike ended. He needed the cash2)The divorce, and knocking up Scary Spice. His divorce from "Babyface" Edmonds ex-wife was nasty. Then add the child support he has to pay to Scary Spice, I would speculate half of his check for this film went to those 2.One thing Eddie could do would be to go on SNL in November. Just turn him loose for the whole show (not just for one sketch like Ackroyd does.) If he would really dedicate himself, and tell Loren Michaels to be quiet and trust him, it could be legendary.-----later-----m
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There is a word I learned that works great in this situation. That word is "No." "Can we go see GI Joe?" "No, that looks horrible." Just because they WANT to do something doesn't mean they GET to. It's your job to steer them in the right direction , and that include their entertainment choices. It's good advice, called PARENTING. Also works for video games and TV. And smoking, unsupervised sleepovers, etc. Give it a try sometime, maybe then Hollywood will stop swilling this shit when it doesn't open with $30M becasue parents are too lazy to tell their offspring "No."
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That we even know of. So I imagine he needs every cent.
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That's like the Edgar Allan Poe movie that Sylvester Stallone supposedly was always going to make, if he could get paid as much as he was for Over the Top of Judge Dredd. It was only later that stars discovered indies were the way back to the big paychecks... and Stallone made Copland.
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He was funny when I was in high school. Not anymore. His act just never changes.
Now, Norm MacDonald, there is a funny guy who kills me every time I see him on TV. Not much for acting, clearly, but if he got something on comedy central I would most definitely watch. -
I like that! Of course, "of" should be "or." Sincerely, Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot Oscar.
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Norm is on Conan tonight.
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Dreamgirls (in an unintentional way) and the waterslide scene in Norbit.
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style movie about his Tranny car ride?
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Maybe Beverly Hills Cop 4 aint such a bad idea...
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Jun 11, 2009 3:48:57 PM CDT
My daughter actually asked me after seeing the ad...
by iowa snot client
"Was Eddie Murphy *ever* funny?" And I try to convince her that Eddie was at one time THE funniest comic alive. No, really. Buckwheat, Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, Hot Tub, Kill My Landlord, Raw, Beverly Hills Cop... Honest, he was the funniest man alive.
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MGTHEDJ nailed it. Eddie's got child support bills = phoned-in Disney comedies.
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Fathers are always portrayed in a negative light. I wish someone would have the balls to make an alternate universe family film. Make the mother the inconsiderate jackass.
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I could tell that this is not the same man that was truly transcendent on Raw, Delirious, Coming to America, etc. He has an agent that is clearly interested in making a commission versus helping his career out. Eddie, you are a pathetic shell of your former self. I hope you wake up one day and realize how much you are completely wasting your God-given talent on hack efforts like Imagine That.
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My kids are gonna see the movies I take them to. If it looks stupid to me, well shit, the little tikes ain't gonna see it, especially in a theater.
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They did make that movie it's called Mr Mom. Starring the once funny Micheal Keaton.
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this and Norbit. How much money does this guy have anyways?
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Jun 11, 2009 8:26:01 PM CDT
The only person I can see directing a good BHC4 is Edgar Wright.
by beastie
But I'd rather he didn't. He's better than the system.
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Yeah. Leave Murray off that.
Not to soon for Mike Myers. Maybe add Kevin Smith to the list. His films are stale. Maybe some good jokes here and there and at least they're not Disney shit, but it's the same tacky shock time and time again. -
Cool, now I know never to bother reading one of your reviews again. That's just an ignorant statement Massawyrm. Daddy Day Camp you can have but Day Care was fantastic - fuck the haters. Honestly...
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& Carvey. They go in.
Ok, I suppose I was a bit harsh on Murray. He isn't as bad as those other guys. It's a different league. I'd still like to see him make a full on comedy though. He was fucking hilarious when I was a kid.
I'll throw in Robin Williams too. -
I'm almost certain this will be Eddie's next film.
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Why doesn't he just do a live action version of the animated series? Himself as Thurgood Stubbs, Loreta (forget last name) as his wife, Martin Lawrence as that guy stands shirtless on the corner with a clear bag on his head, and Damon Wayons as Smokey the crackhead.
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i found that more entertaining than his last 6 movies combined. "This is one hard-bolied case they'll never crack!" I loved how he goofed on his singing when we all saw him try to make it work in the 90's. remember the watzupwitu video? Come back to us Eddie.
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dying "adult" film, and how hard producers have trying to get serious dramas made. Bill Condon tried and failed to get a Richard Pryor biopic with Eddie Murphy off the ground. So who can blame Eddie if the studios want to pidgeonhole him in lame family friendly comedies? See Steve Martin...
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Yes I found Eddie on Conan to be fun also.
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