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Blu-ray Disc/DVD REVIEW
NORBIT
Release Date: June 5, 2007[/b]
Film Rating: :star: / :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Eddie Griffin, Terry Crews and Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Story by: Eddie Murphy and Charles Murphy
Screenplay by: Eddie Murphy and Charles Murphy and Jay Scherick and David Ronn
Directed by: Brian Robbins
The hardest part of watching and reviewing Norbit is realizing that the filmmakers thought this was going to be a funny movie. Unfortunately, the film really isn’t – although that’s not for lack of trying. The story follows the title character, a slow-witted but well-meaning orphan played by Eddie Murphy (sans moustache and with a minimal amount of prosthetics) as he tries to find happiness in his life. He is challenged in a big way by his overwhelming wife Rasputia (played at times by a large body double and at others by Murphy in a LOT of prosthetic makeup and a rubber suit). Norbit’s story is a simple one: He is reunited with his childhood love and must find a way to get past her crooked fiancée and his wife in order to live happily ever after. The majority of the film consists of a series of sight gags designed around Rasputia’s size and/or Norbit’s inability to handle himself very well. There are some funny bits here and there, but most of the scenes are simply crude. In some cases, an otherwise light and appealing scene will suddenly be juxtaposed with bathroom humor. Other scenes are simply disturbing. (Rasputia’s pursuit of a small neighbourhood dog is just one example.) It is hard for me to recommend this film, even to die-hard Eddie Murphy fans. It is even harder to do so when this film is being released alongside Trading Places and Coming to America, two films that give a much better picture of Murphy’s comedic abilities.
Norbit is being released day-and-date in all 3 DVD formats. All 3 formats will carry the same special features. The Blu-Ray release features a 1080p transfer and most of the special features in 1080p.
VIDEO QUALITY: 4/5[/SIZE] :star: :star: :star: :star:
Norbit is presented in a bright, colorful 1080p MPEG-4 AVC transfer that delivers the usual fine detail and accurate flesh tones. Rick Baker’s various makeups on Eddie Murphy withstand the greater detail without any seams showing. I should note that in many scenes, Rasputia's angles are actually head replacement shots with the body double’s head being switched for Eddie Murphy in prosthetics. These digital effects come through very nicely – I didn’t see any glitches or mismatches that could have been revealed by the HD transfer. While I wasn’t stunned by the picture quality here, the fact that the makeups and CGI effects passed through without notice is a feat all by itself.
AUDIO QUALITY: 4/5 :star: :star: :star: :star:
Norbit is presented in a 640kbps 5.1 Surround mix in English, French and Spanish. This is a pretty solid mix, with some directional effects and some subwoofer activity accompanying Rasputia’s activities. (Her plunge down a waterslide begins with a near-homage to Jurassic Park as Norbit notes the impact tremors...) As is normal for comedies, most of the sound is concentrated in the front and center, but the music makes its way through the surround channels when it can.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 3/5 :star: :star: :star:
The Blu-Ray presentation of Norbit includes all of the special features to be found on the standard DVD edition, with most presented in 1080p, albeit in a MPEG-2 transfer.
The Making of Norbit (21:33) (1080p MPEG2) – This is a quick run through the making of the film, from the initial concept by Murphy’s brother Charles through the filming and digital effects. All the main cast members are interviewed, although Eddie Murphy’s comments appear to be coming from another video source. Several of the cast are interviewed in character, including Marlon Wayans playing a “power tap” fitness trainer and Eddie Griffin playing a former pimp. Brian Robbins discusses some of the difficulties of filming scenes where Murphy plays all the main roles – some examples are shown of Murphy playing opposite a double and then a c-stand with a tennis ball at his eyeline.
Man of a Thousand Faces (4:04) (480p non-anamorphic) – This is the one special feature that is not presented in HD. (Instead, this one is shown in non-anamorphic standard definition.) Rick Baker’s makeup work is featured here, in discussions with him and Murphy regarding the creation of Rasputia and the Chinese orphanage owner, Mr. Wong. Baker details the different techniques that go into each character, and Murphy repeats his appreciation for Baker’s work – noting that he has continued to work with Baker ever since their success with Coming to America.
Power Tap (mock infomercial) (4:50) (1080p MPEG2) – This is an extended interview with Marlon Wayans in character as Buster Perkins, the “power tap” specialist in the film. His mock interview is intercut with additional footage of the fitness training scene in the film. If you’re a big Marlon Wayans fan, this will appeal to you. Otherwise, you may agree with me that the Rick Baker featurette could have been given the HD treatment, and perhaps this one was more appropriate for the lower level of detail.
The Stunts of Norbit (11:51) (1080p MPEG2) – This featurette centers on the various stunts involved in the film, as coordinated by Andy Gill. Gill goes through the various stunt sequences, including the use of air rams to launch characters through the air or at each other. In one somewhat alarming sequence, Gill details the use of an old-fashioned harness and counterweight system to safely launch little girls from a children’s Moon Bounce when Rasputia jumps into it. While it’s evident that everyone involved was completely safe, it’s still hard to watch the girls get hoisted into the air. (On the other hand, the “Dive Devil” ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain is the same kind of thing – only the parents and kids PAY to do that...)
Deleted Scenes (8:29 total) (1080p MPEG2) – Contrary to the packaging which tells us we will find 14 “hilarious deleted scenes”, I can attest that this is just a series of brief scenes and extensions that really would not have added anything to the film. (One sequence featuring Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams helping a woman get pregnant in church goes pretty far over the line.)
Photo Gallery – This is a series of promotional stills and behind the scenes photos from the film. You can go back and forth through the photos using the remote arrows.
Theatrical Trailer (1:56) (1080p MPEG2) – The theatrical trailer is presented here in HD.
IN THE END...
Norbit is a comedy for serious Eddie Murphy fans and completists. It gets a good HD audio/video transfer here, but the film itself is a bit hard to get through on its own terms.
Kevin Koster
June 3, 2007.
NORBIT
Release Date: June 5, 2007[/b]
Film Rating: :star: / :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Eddie Griffin, Terry Crews and Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Story by: Eddie Murphy and Charles Murphy
Screenplay by: Eddie Murphy and Charles Murphy and Jay Scherick and David Ronn
Directed by: Brian Robbins
The hardest part of watching and reviewing Norbit is realizing that the filmmakers thought this was going to be a funny movie. Unfortunately, the film really isn’t – although that’s not for lack of trying. The story follows the title character, a slow-witted but well-meaning orphan played by Eddie Murphy (sans moustache and with a minimal amount of prosthetics) as he tries to find happiness in his life. He is challenged in a big way by his overwhelming wife Rasputia (played at times by a large body double and at others by Murphy in a LOT of prosthetic makeup and a rubber suit). Norbit’s story is a simple one: He is reunited with his childhood love and must find a way to get past her crooked fiancée and his wife in order to live happily ever after. The majority of the film consists of a series of sight gags designed around Rasputia’s size and/or Norbit’s inability to handle himself very well. There are some funny bits here and there, but most of the scenes are simply crude. In some cases, an otherwise light and appealing scene will suddenly be juxtaposed with bathroom humor. Other scenes are simply disturbing. (Rasputia’s pursuit of a small neighbourhood dog is just one example.) It is hard for me to recommend this film, even to die-hard Eddie Murphy fans. It is even harder to do so when this film is being released alongside Trading Places and Coming to America, two films that give a much better picture of Murphy’s comedic abilities.
Norbit is being released day-and-date in all 3 DVD formats. All 3 formats will carry the same special features. The Blu-Ray release features a 1080p transfer and most of the special features in 1080p.
VIDEO QUALITY: 4/5[/SIZE] :star: :star: :star: :star:Norbit is presented in a bright, colorful 1080p MPEG-4 AVC transfer that delivers the usual fine detail and accurate flesh tones. Rick Baker’s various makeups on Eddie Murphy withstand the greater detail without any seams showing. I should note that in many scenes, Rasputia's angles are actually head replacement shots with the body double’s head being switched for Eddie Murphy in prosthetics. These digital effects come through very nicely – I didn’t see any glitches or mismatches that could have been revealed by the HD transfer. While I wasn’t stunned by the picture quality here, the fact that the makeups and CGI effects passed through without notice is a feat all by itself.
AUDIO QUALITY: 4/5 :star: :star: :star: :star: Norbit is presented in a 640kbps 5.1 Surround mix in English, French and Spanish. This is a pretty solid mix, with some directional effects and some subwoofer activity accompanying Rasputia’s activities. (Her plunge down a waterslide begins with a near-homage to Jurassic Park as Norbit notes the impact tremors...) As is normal for comedies, most of the sound is concentrated in the front and center, but the music makes its way through the surround channels when it can.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 3/5 :star: :star: :star:The Blu-Ray presentation of Norbit includes all of the special features to be found on the standard DVD edition, with most presented in 1080p, albeit in a MPEG-2 transfer.
The Making of Norbit (21:33) (1080p MPEG2) – This is a quick run through the making of the film, from the initial concept by Murphy’s brother Charles through the filming and digital effects. All the main cast members are interviewed, although Eddie Murphy’s comments appear to be coming from another video source. Several of the cast are interviewed in character, including Marlon Wayans playing a “power tap” fitness trainer and Eddie Griffin playing a former pimp. Brian Robbins discusses some of the difficulties of filming scenes where Murphy plays all the main roles – some examples are shown of Murphy playing opposite a double and then a c-stand with a tennis ball at his eyeline.
Man of a Thousand Faces (4:04) (480p non-anamorphic) – This is the one special feature that is not presented in HD. (Instead, this one is shown in non-anamorphic standard definition.) Rick Baker’s makeup work is featured here, in discussions with him and Murphy regarding the creation of Rasputia and the Chinese orphanage owner, Mr. Wong. Baker details the different techniques that go into each character, and Murphy repeats his appreciation for Baker’s work – noting that he has continued to work with Baker ever since their success with Coming to America.
Power Tap (mock infomercial) (4:50) (1080p MPEG2) – This is an extended interview with Marlon Wayans in character as Buster Perkins, the “power tap” specialist in the film. His mock interview is intercut with additional footage of the fitness training scene in the film. If you’re a big Marlon Wayans fan, this will appeal to you. Otherwise, you may agree with me that the Rick Baker featurette could have been given the HD treatment, and perhaps this one was more appropriate for the lower level of detail.
The Stunts of Norbit (11:51) (1080p MPEG2) – This featurette centers on the various stunts involved in the film, as coordinated by Andy Gill. Gill goes through the various stunt sequences, including the use of air rams to launch characters through the air or at each other. In one somewhat alarming sequence, Gill details the use of an old-fashioned harness and counterweight system to safely launch little girls from a children’s Moon Bounce when Rasputia jumps into it. While it’s evident that everyone involved was completely safe, it’s still hard to watch the girls get hoisted into the air. (On the other hand, the “Dive Devil” ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain is the same kind of thing – only the parents and kids PAY to do that...)
Deleted Scenes (8:29 total) (1080p MPEG2) – Contrary to the packaging which tells us we will find 14 “hilarious deleted scenes”, I can attest that this is just a series of brief scenes and extensions that really would not have added anything to the film. (One sequence featuring Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams helping a woman get pregnant in church goes pretty far over the line.)
Photo Gallery – This is a series of promotional stills and behind the scenes photos from the film. You can go back and forth through the photos using the remote arrows.
Theatrical Trailer (1:56) (1080p MPEG2) – The theatrical trailer is presented here in HD.
IN THE END...
Norbit is a comedy for serious Eddie Murphy fans and completists. It gets a good HD audio/video transfer here, but the film itself is a bit hard to get through on its own terms.
Kevin Koster
June 3, 2007.
