Dir. Brian Robbins, 2008, US, 90 mins
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, Scott
Caan
Review by Matthew Rodgers
Meet Dave. He is an extra-terrestrial space
vehicle that resembles Axel Foley with a cranium hiding a
crew of miniature people captained by Eddie Murphy. Eddie
Murphy, let's remember, is a comedic talent that burnt so
brightly in the 1980s only to supernova into the cheque-cashing
headliner of recent times with ridiculously successful abominations
like Norbit and Daddy
Day Care. Do not abort mission yet,
crew, because as faint praise as it is, this is Murphy's
best effort in a while and does conceal a few chuckles among
the usual quota of burps and farts.
The premise is something of a cross between Inner
Space and Fantastic
Voyage, but nowhere near as much fun, as the
inhabitants of Dave must co-ordinate his mechanical appendages
in order to find a mystical MacGuffin that will save their
home planet from destruction. The problem is that it has
fallen into the hands of Hollywood moppet Josh (Austyn Myers),
a wide eyed kid with a huge imagination, and his mother Gina
(the ever-watchable Elizabeth Banks) who unintentionally
teach the microscopic race that there is more to life than
being a conformist.
For all of the seen-it-all-before incredible shrinking men
special effects that looked better way back in 1989's Honey,
I Shrunk the Kids, there are a few justifiable reasons for
watching Meet Dave. There is the odd glimpse of genuine comedy
that reminds you of the Delirious genius that Murphy was,
before his performance gives way to sub-standard Jim Carrey
face gurning and funny walking. And then there is Banks whose
natural ability for comedy has seen her scene stealing in
Scrubs. Here her limited screen time lifts the film above
the, intentional or not, robotic performances of the remainder
of the cast.
There is fun to be had for the little ones who will no doubt
giggle at the bodily function gags or gaze in wonder at the
interior body sets, and they may even learn something from
the limp cut-and-paste job of a finale that completely rips
E.T.'s morality, soundtrack and whooshing rocket. But there
are better films with similar messages (see this week's WALL-E)
filling the multiplexes and Murphy could do without the encouragement.
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