Someday within the 2000s, comic Eddie Murphy started experiencing a profession droop that, fairly sadly, would stay with him for years. Ron Underwood’s 2002 sci-fi comedy “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” was a infamous bomb, making solely $7.1 million on a $100 million price range. Murphy’s cinematic replace of “I Spy” from the identical yr additionally misplaced cash, and Murphy turned to creating mediocre however fashionable kiddie flicks like “The Haunted Mansion” and “Daddy Day Care” to make ends meet.
In 2006, Murphy acquired an Academy Award nomination for his efficiency in “Dreamgirls,” however he instantly chased it with the universally hated “Norbit” solely months later. “Norbit” made cash, however nobody appeared to love it. Some have even stated that the presence of “Norbit” in theaters harmed Murphy’s likelihood of successful an Oscar that yr. He misplaced to Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine.”
Murphy’s subsequent few movies had been all panned by critics, and few made spectacular field workplace. The sci-fi comedy “Meet Dave” wasn’t marked by many, nor was the household comedy “Think about That.” Each bombed. Brett Ratner’s “Tower Heist” was a success, but it surely’s largely forgotten right now. If it weren’t for the “Shrek” motion pictures, Murphy’s star would proceed to fall. On the finish of this lengthy, winding street got here “A Thousand Phrases,” a movie that was shot in 2008, however was lastly launched in 2012. “A Thousand Phrases” made solely $22 million on a $40 million price range, however was the worst-reviewed movie in Murphy’s profession. On Rotten Tomatoes, “A Thousand Phrases” holds a uncommon 0% approval ranking, primarily based on 57 critiques. “Norbit,” as compared, has a 9% approval ranking.
‘A Thousand Phrases’ has no constructive critiques on Rotten Tomatoes
The premise of “A Thousand Phrases” is a bit odd. Murphy performs a literary agent named Jack McCall who makes use of his motormouthed grandiloquence to schmooze his manner by means of life. Jack makes a ebook take care of a Buddhist monk performed by Cliff Curtis, overtly mendacity in regards to the particulars, inspiring the monk’s pity. That evening, a Bodhi tree seems in Jack’s yard, and he finds that each phrase he speaks causes a leaf to fall off of it. As soon as the tree is naked, Jack will die. He solely has a few thousand phrases he can communicate.
Jack, now unwilling to talk, instantly loses his job and alienates his spouse and son. The losses ship Jack on a journey of self-reflection that finally results in a reconciliation together with his estranged mom and father.
“A Thousand Phrases” was directed by Hollywood journeyman Brian Robbins, who helmed nondescript movies like “Varsity Blues,” “Able to Rumble,” and the remake of “The Shaggy Canine.” He additionally labored with Murphy on “Norbit,” and “Meet Dave.” His solely putting and beloved film could also be the “All That” spinoff characteristic “Good Burger” from 1997. Robbins is not any auteur, and his movies are likely to look flat, shiny, and bland. Judging simply from clips on-line, one can see that “A Thousand Phrases” is not any totally different.
“A Thousand Phrases” does not appear to be making any type of touch upon the significance of silence, nor the misuse of phrases. It does not even appear to espouse a direct Buddhist message. It is extra of a “cosmic punishment” comedy a few generically inattentive father — an all-too-common trope in household comedies — studying a generic Helpful Lesson™.
Eddie Murphy’s had nowhere to go however up
The near-decade of flops and stinkers needed to finish ultimately, and Murphy took 4 years off to rethink his profession. He returned to movie in 2016 with the discharge of Bruce Beresford’s indie drama “Mr. Church,” a movie that received Murphy some reward, even when the movie wasn’t well-reviewed. In 2019, nonetheless, Murphy stormed again onto the scene with Craig Brewer’s “Dolemite is My Title,” a biography of the wonderful Rudy Ray Moore. Murphy performed Moore with all of the requisite verve and iconoclastic humor, reminding audiences that each Murphy and Moore are necessary to popular culture presences.
Murphy spent the subsequent few years extra fastidiously deciding on his movies, showing within the broad household comedy “Sweet Cane Lane,” but additionally the talky romance “You Folks.” Murphy additionally began to look again and revisit a few of his older hits by making latter-day sequels that gained quite a lot of consideration. In 2021, he reprised his position as Prince Akeem in “Coming 2 America,” a sequel to the 1989 movie “Coming to America,” and in 2024, he got here again to play Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” Set to launch in July 2026 is “Shrek 5,” whereby Murphy will return to play the voice of Donkey.
Murphy was as soon as one among Hollywood’s most worthwhile stars, and a number of other of his movies from the Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen Nineties are re-watched enthusiastically to this present day. It could be not possible for any star to remain on the high of the A-list ceaselessly — even Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts movies aren’t assured hits anymore — and Murphy has, like many, struggled alongside the way in which. He has, nonetheless, by no means stopped being humorous or gifted. He additionally, at age 63, appears to have extra vitality than ever. “A Thousand Phrases” was merely one among many duds in a protracted, textured profession.
