July (Web-only) 2000

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If Nutty Professor II: The Klumps seems awfully familiar, look past the first installment in the series--and even the original Jerry Lewis comedy--to the gross-out humor of Me, Myself, and Irene and Scary Movie. Yes, it's a third exercise in raunchy humor this summer, introducing audiences to, for starters, a giant hamster having sex with a university dean.

Audiences went nuts for Klumps, despite the ho-hum reviews of critics both Christian and mainstream. Eddie Murphy, who portrayed the entire overweight Klump clan, received pretty much the only accolades that reviewers were willing to dole out. "Mr. Murphy once again proves his versatility as an actor by not only developing six different characters, but by developing them with such depth and distinction," says Michael Elliott of Crosswalk.com. But his praise fades fast. "It is therefore six times as sad that the script … was written to be so offensive . …It should have been called The Smutty Professor." The Dove Foundation elaborates: "When humor isn't extracted from broad sexual innuendo, Mr. Murphy turns to gross-out visuals, jokes about old age and the always reliable flatulence sound effect." Of course, this humor happens to be the summer audiences' cup of tea, so the U.S. Catholic Conference focuses its more basic failings, calling it a "sluggish" story with "few laughs." Paul Bicking of Previewsearches for something positive in the film, noting that "the Klumps do show support for family and for one another," but concludes: "While it strives to have a heart, other organs seem to be in control of [the film]."

What Lies Beneath received another round of faint praise and loud groans from critics this week, while the Harrison Ford/Michelle Pfeiffer ghost ...