Susan Granger’s review of “NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS” (Universal)
When audiences went wild for the “Nutty Professor” dinner-table sequences in which Eddie Murphy played various members of the Klump clan, the idea for a sequel was born. So, although heavy-set Professor Sherman Klump remains the central character, his dysfunctional family is fleshed out, literally, each member with his/her own subplot. Last time, Sherman Klump came up with a way to lose weight; this time, he discovers a youth serum. Annoyingly neurotic Dean Richmond (Larry Miller) wants to sell the formula to a drug company, while romance comes in the form of Janet Jackson as a shy, sweet professor who’s in love with Sherman. Aggressive, skinny Buddy Love is still in Sherman’s system, bursting out unexpectedly, until Sherman extracts him from his body. It’s like Jekyll and Hyde separating. Buddy is no longer a sexist, mischievous alter-ego; he’s an evil ego trying to steal Sherman’s “youth juice”. The clash between Buddy and Sherman as separate entities gives the plot tension because, when Buddy’s DNA goes so do Sherman’s IQ points. With the help of make-up genius Rick Baker, Eddie Murphy is chameleon-like. Mama holds the family together; she’s the most like Sherman. Papa and Ernie Jr. are more alike. And Grandma’s sexually voracious. What’s amazing is the seamless interaction of all Eddie’s characters: how the eyeline movement of one is combined with physical action of another in a complicated digital ballet. But, despite four writers and director Peter Segal, it’s is incoherent. Clever, yes. Funny, no. The visual gags and crude jokes are stale and predictable, and the ‘space dream’ scene is downright stupid. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps” is a raunchy, gimmicky, forced 4. It’s tour-de-force Eddie – all over the screen!
