The Adventures of Pluto Nash review – Eddie Murphy’s lunar loser
Pluto Nash is so bad it’s terrible
There’s no redeeming value in The Adventures of Pluto Nash. It’s one of those classically awful movies that you almost have to see to truly appreciate why it well deserves its status as one of the worst movies of all time. Granted something may come along in 2092 that be truly terrible as well, but it will still be looking up at this bad idea made worse with a big budget.
Eddie Murphy (who apparently couldn’t be bothered to read the scripts) stars as Pluto Nash. Nash is a former smuggler on the moon trying to turn his life around after getting released from prison by running a nightclub.
Before he can start that new life, Pluto has to save his best friend Tony (Jay Mohr) from getting the beat down from a bunch of mobsters.
Along the way, Pluto agrees to help aspiring singer, Dina (Rosario Dawson) in need of money to return home to Earth. Dawson amazingly managed to salvage her career after this as she was the only cast member with a career still on the rise.
It doesn’t take Pluto long to make the nightclub the hottest spot on the moon, which brings trouble from some mobsters (led by Joe Pantoliano) looking to cash in or trash the business so no one can reap the benefits.
Director Ron Underwood and screenwriter Neil Cuthbert appear baffled as to the film they’re trying to make as it switches from scene to scene.
One moment it’s another in a string of embarrassingly bad Murphy comedies when the next it’s a sci-fi action adventure. It doesn’t particularly matter which genre you’re suffering through as they’re all awful with an out of touch sense of humor and cheap looking special effects.
[irp]
To its credit, Warner Brothers knew it was a stinker and invested little in the promotional efforts.The trailers didn’t exactly say ‘go see this movie,’ but screamed ‘run in the other direction’ and in this case, the trailers provided more than adequate warning.
Favors are called in from across the galaxy as stars including Randy Quaid, John Cleese, Alec Baldwin, Luis Guzman, Peter Boyle, Burt Young, Miguel A. Nunez, Jr. and even Pam Grier show up for cameo appearances.
Cleese and Guzman actually provide some much-needed spark to the film, but unfortunately, they don’t stick around nearly long enough.
As far as rock bottom moments in Murphy’s career, it’s a toss-up between this and Norbit. On the plus side, Pluto Nash didn’t cost Murphy an Oscar, but its $4 million gross against a $100 million budget makes it easily one of the biggest box office bombs in history.
I don’t want to undersell how poorly conceived this film is so if you temper your expectations way low to just barely hope to occasionally chuckle, ‘Pluto Nash’ is still going to let you down.
The only entertainment value you’ll get out of Pluto Nash is making it one of the featured attractions of a horrible movie night where you can endlessly mock it MST3K style. Otherwise steer far clear of this lunar loser.
i sadly went to the movies to watch it and i enjoyed a good bit of it. Yet I knew It had no rewatch value. I guess i was hoping for another comeback ala nutty professor I ( two kind of sucked and you see the cracks in eddies comedy, but Janet, damit whew!! Jada pinkett sexy aura made me a fish fan. I mean a woman named fish.. anyway lol) I think eddie needs more low key roles and quit pairing him up with the hot stars he is at least 15 20 years older than. Norbit is a cult classic ( for better or worse) and as offensive as this movie will be now for sure it still had moments. I think eddie and johnny depp should do a movie together in weird makeup lol
That’s two more people than I ever knew enjoyed it ;-)
Very true. Doesn’t seem like he’s doing the May/December romances any more thankfully. You liked Norbit too?
i like norbit 3/4 of the way at the time, but im not overly PC but I kinda put this in the group with Madea and black comics/actors doing the fat Mammy/sterotype of fat black angry thing. Of course due to the full on commital you have to be in awe just a bit that A rasputia isnt a real person, B played a man, C sadly i seen a variation of her in different walks of life. Its not that eddie doesnt have it, but he took any and every roll lol. Plus it had a cheesy cartoonish script. I know a outlandish comedy but damn, you have to wonder why norbit stayed that long for that abuse. At its core is about the abuse of men and well the ish some brothers have to take lol. I can watch most of it but then it dips in that broken space of Nutty professor II were it just all out wack. Some good jokes though like marlon wayans power tap. Btw Clifton powell is very short lol. I met him at church one day as he promoting one of those cheesy plays. Im like this guy walks around like he 7 ft tall. Hollywood will fool you.
As far as pluto Nash i think this is when i got my crush on Rosario. She was a spot of sunshine in this turd. Jay Mohr sucks, this and that movie with Anthony Anderson confirmed it.
You have definitely given Norbit more thought than I ever have ?
How was Clifton? Rosario was infinitely crushable from that movie. I’ve always kinda dug Mohr. Never quite got why he didn’t succeed.
I’m glad to hear someone enjoyed it Pierre. I felt so embarrassed for everyone that took part in it. I agree that Eddie probably felt like it didn’t matter after getting gipped out of that Oscar, which he really should have won.
Mohr needed to be the 3rd with vince vaghn or like zach. he was before his time with no crew to attach him to. I think thats what hurt him. I last heard him on Fox sports.. I know he was one of the few comedic guys who could probably host a sports podcast. Yet again, all that he was attached too just seem 5 years too early.
Ah, I gotcha. LOL. That makes a lot more sense to me.
That’s crazy. Eddie and Jennifer Hudson were by far the highlights of that movie.