Rating of
2/4
with or without words Murphy is still hilarious!
Lee - wrote on 08/10/12
Ok seeing the reviews of this film would normally make film goers run for their lives. mind you i will say that it definatly wasn't worth the price of admission although it wasn't as bad as some might say either. I have always liked Eddie Murphy, he doesnt make the blockbuster films that he once made during the 80/90's however always is a comfortable presence on the big screen. now let's not put all the blame upon Eddie himself as he didn't write or direct this film. He just acts his way through what he believes to be a good acting choice in the long run.
This time around Eddie plays Jack, a fast talking literary agent who after signing a new age self help guru named Dr. Sinja ( Cliff Curtis) Now Sinja's claim to fame is he can see through anyone's lies and or curse that has been cursed upon them. Jack returns home to find a strange tree growing in his backyard that has no less then a thousand leaves upon it's branches. Jack is all too soon to find out that he must choose his next thousand words out of his mouth correctly and or wisely as each time he utters a word one of the 1000 leaves will fall off.. resulting in his death.
This unfortunate situation leaves Jack at a standstill for a guy who is used to using his mouth which in turn leaves us the audience sometimes laughing out loud at the way Jack has to now conduct his life according to the tree dealing with a faltering marriage, career etc without uttering a word. Now alot of critics whose reviews on this film i have read have mentioned that Murphy's career has revolved around his dialogue in films and u take that away..what's left? I have to differ from this conclusion as moments of this film had me breathless with laughter. One scene comes to mind where Jack is trying to attend an all to important signing of a literary giant all the whilst back at home the groundskeepers are spraying Jack's tree of life with pesticides which inturn cause Jack to appear stoned out of his gourd.
If you are a lifelong Murphy fan as i am then do yourself a favor and wait for the initial dvd release or you might be angered at shelling out for the theatre's astronomical admission price. i say though give it a chance it's not that bad of a film!
