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The Nutty Professor (1996)

Catch Jada Pinkett-Smith as Professor Carla Purty

Theatrical Release Date: June 28, 1996

Summary: Sherman Klump is an incredibly fat and good-hearted man. He is a college professor on the verge of a breakthrough in DNA restructuring when he meets an admirer of his, named Carla, who is a teacher new to Klump's college. He is enamored of her, but is frustrated by his tremendous bulk. He then decides to test a formula on which he's been working on himself. He is then transformed into the lecherous swinger, Buddy Love, and romantic complications ensue.

Review: After a string of disappointing box office and equally disappointing films, the comic maelstrom known as Eddie Murphy is finally back with this hilarious update of the '60s Jerry Lewis classic. Murphy gives a bravura performance as seven different characters, the principal one being shy, overweight professor Sherman Klump, who, with a DNA-restructuring potion, becomes slim, obnoxious Buddy Love to woo teaching assistant Carla Purty (Jada Pinkett, ably playing the straight woman). While Buddy's antics are funny, they are nothing compared to the dinner scenes Sherman shares with his family, all save one played by Murphy. His comic genius comes shining through in these admittedly distasteful but uproarious scenes; the biggest laughs come from Sherman's tough grandma and proudly flatulent father. Nutty was directed and co-written by Tom Shadyac, who did the original Ace Ventura film; he brings that film's extensive use of toilet humor over to this project, where it is more, ahem, effective. It may often dabble in bad taste, but there's no denying that this truly fun, funny film is the comedy to beat this year.

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