BuzzSugar

A Good Year For Elizabeth Banks

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:00:39 -0800

Among all the great entertainment in 2008, a few people clearly stood out, including the beautiful and funny Elizabeth Banks. Why was this year good for Elizabeth Banks? Because she was everywhere.

The woman was in six - count 'em, six! - movies that were released this year. Some were ridiculous and silly (Meet Dave with Eddie Murphy, Meet Bill with Aaron Eckhart, Role Models with Paul Rudd) while one was ridiculous and raunchy (Zack and Miri Make a Porno alongside Seth Rogen). She got to be in the sweet movie Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds, and she did a serious Laura Bush impersonation, with Josh Brolin as her George, in Oliver Stone's W. And in just a few weeks we'll see her play a freaky stepmother in the scary movie The Uninvited.

She's got range and beauty and crazy comedic skills, and I wish every year could bring us this much Elizabeth Banks.

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Box Office: Hellboy and Friends Kick Box Office Butt

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:15:15 -0700

Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army won the weekend box office with an estimated $35.9 million, not only handily beating the current competition, but also surpassing the first Hellboy's opening weekend earnings ($23.2 million). Yippee! I'm happy for that ragtag group of superheroes.

On the other end of the spectrum was Meet Dave, which Variety described as "one of the worst opening grosses ever for an Eddie Murphy pic." The details are even more painful. Consider this: It cost $60 million to make Meet Dave and it only earned an estimated $5.3 million over the weekend. That's not a pretty picture.

Hancock remained a draw (fun aside: at the movie theater over the weekend, a group of young boys sped past me while one yelled, "Hurry up! I don't want to miss a single second of Hancock!"), coming in second place, followed by the 3-D action flick Journey to the Center of the Earth. Pixar's Wall-E came in at No. 4 followed by Wanted to round out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Meet Dave: I Thought It Would Be Worse

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:33:33 -0700

So, full disclosure: I dragged myself to this movie with the lowest of expectations. Things like Norbit and The Adventures of Pluto Nash danced through my mind and I prayed to the comedy gods to spare me a numbingly unfunny experience. I mean, I've just barely recovered from The Love Guru.

And guess what: They sort of heard my prayers. I'm happy to report that Eddie Murphy's new comedy (that even he couldn't bring himself to watch) isn't all that bad. I wouldn't say it's good, either, but my soul is intact and I'm not as worried about the fate of all that is funny, so those are good signs. What's more, I came away with a renewed sense of Eddie Murphy's talent, and I think it's possible he might be back on that screen making me hurt with laughter one of these days.

To see what I think gets in the way of Murphy's hilarity in Meet Dave, making this another one of his forgettable comedies, read more.

When I first saw the trailer, I thought the premise was weird and even kinda gross. Little people running around inside Eddie Murphy? Falling out of his ears? No thanks. Plus I figured it was bound to get real scatological, real fast. Well, turns out it's actually a fairly inspired idea for a movie, and as I watched I saw glimpses of what could have been. Little tiny aliens coming to earth in a space vessel in the form of Eddie Murphy (who also plays the captain in charge of a Star Trek-like crew inside) starts out as a ridiculously silly twist on the extraterrestrial comedy, and I'll be honest, I couldn't help but smile.

My smile only widened during scenes in which Eddie Murphy takes those funny muscles and gives them a good workout. In the beginning when the aliens are learning how to get their human to stroll down the street, his brilliant herky-jerky walk is like a lesson in physical comedy. There is also a running gag in which the aliens decide that it's best to make their vessel just copy human behavior when they're not quite sure of the proper response. So when a good-natured character shakes hands with "Dave," Murphy does a pretty hilarious imitation right back at him that's akin to the "white man's over bite" in how dorkishly affable it is.

However, there is a "but," and it's a big one. Despite a handful of shimmering moments of good old-fashioned comedy, the movie crumbles under mostly idiotic jokes (he poops money, for example) and a plot so cliched you could bet $100 pooped dollars every 10 minutes on what will happen next and walk out rich.

Bottom line: Meet Dave will remind you that Eddie Murphy made hilarious movies once upon a time, but will make you wonder why he makes movies that are beneath him - and you.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

How Well Do You Know Eddie Murphy's Career?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:30:33 -0700

Few have enjoyed the kind of long-term box office success that Eddie Murphy has, and despite recent movies he's made (oh man, Meet Dave looks. . . interesting) there is no denying the permanent impact his work has had on TV, movies, and yes, even music.

So in honor of his newest comedy opening this weekend (and the news that he's not, actually, retiring from the biz), I thought I'd grill you on your Eddie Murphy knowledge. Good luck!

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Eddie Murphy's Meet Dave: Funny or Lame?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:30:14 -0700

Parts of the trailer for the Eddie Murphy comedy Meet Dave are pretty funny, while others fall into the "things that make me go 'Hmm. . .'" category. People jumping out of his ears! Aack!

Meet Dave opens July 11, so check out the preview and tell me what you think. Funny? Lame? Or just weird?

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