Norbit

Norbit is a 2007 American romantic comedy film, directed by Brian Robbins, and co written, co produced, and starring Eddie Murphy. The film co stars Thandie Newton, Terry Crews, Cuba Gooding Jr., Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, and Charlie Murphy. It was released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures on February 9, 2007.

The film was negatively received by critics and earned Murphy three Golden Raspberry Awards, out of the film's eight total nominations. However, it was a commercial success and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Plot
Mild-mannered Norbit (Eddie Murphy) has always had it rough, since the day he was left abandoned at a combination Chinese restaurant and orphanage. Recently forced to marry the shrewish glutton Rasputia, he is at wit's end. Then his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton), moves back to town, and he tries to figure out a way back to his true love.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Bizarre storyline.
 * 2) Shameless and blatant product placement like ICEE drinks.
 * 3) This movie is filled with harsh stereotypes, ranging from fat people; especially with Rasputia, who follows the stereotype of fat people being being ugly, cruel, gross, food-adicted and having bad hygiene.
 * 4) The jokes are extremely tasteless and range from involving fat shaming to outright offensive.
 * 5) All of the characters are unlikable, with Norbit and Kate pretty much being the only likable characters in the entire film.
 * 6) Signs of racism. Murphy also plays Hangten Wong, Norbit's adoptive Asian father who likes to hunt whales and does racist remarks.
 * 7) Most of the film is Norbit being tortured by Rasputia and her brothers
 * 8) Rasputia is VERY unlikable. She physically and verbally abuses Norbit, gets angry when he dates another girl but has sex with her dance teacher, hires her brothers to turn the orphanage into a strip club, literally runs over a dog for eyeballing her and laughs about it, and claims to be Christian but rejects every law.
 * 9) Good actors like Terry Crews and Cuba Gooding Jr. are wasted in this film.
 * 10) A disturbing moment where Rasputia falls on a kid at the water park when she goes on the slide, implying that she crushed her (but she thankfully survives.)
 * 11) Very poor CGI effects, such as the water on the slide, which looks fake.

Good Qualities

 * 1) Norbit is a likable and sympathetic protagonist, as he is a kindhearted underdog that everyone roots for.
 * 2) *Kate is also likable as a love interest for Norbit.
 * 3) There are funny moments here and there.
 * 4) The acting is still passable.
 * 5) Just like in the Nutty Professor movies, it's pretty interesting to see Eddie Murphy play three different characters and see them all at the same screen at times.
 * 6) "How YOU doin'?!"
 * 7) Rasputia can be somewhat funny in certain scenes.
 * 8) The makeup applied on Eddie Murphy to play Rasputia and Mr. Wong is actually impressive. In fact, this film managed to be nominated for the Best Makeup & Hairstyling Oscar in 2008!
 * 9) Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams give funny performances.
 * 10) The water slide was actually a popular Internet meme on YouTube.
 * 11) The ending is also good.
 * 12) This film had a great Mexican Latin American dub.

Trivia

 * Brian Wilson, American musician and founding member of the popular rock band The Beach Boys, cites Norbit as his favorite film. This would become a running joke within the Beach Boys fandom.
 * In this movie, Eddie Murphy plays 2 male characters and 1 female character.