Imagine That
I think it was around 1994 when Eddie Murphy started his downward spiral. That was the year of “Beverly Hills Cop III,” a disaster of a sequel that played more like a “Vacation” movie than the gritty-funny films that preceded it in the series.
Since then, we’ve largely been given this softer, more family-appropriate Eddie Murphy that’s gone the easy way to big laughs (and bigger box office). There’ve been exceptions (“Bowfinger,” “Dreamgirls,” and the first “Shrek”; even the horribly misguided “Vampire in Brooklyn” was a bold step), but with films like “Norbit” and the progressively-crass “Shrek” sequels, it’s hard to really think Murphy will get his edge back.
“Imagine That”- his latest family film/”comedy”- has him playing a driven investments banker who’s a pretty lousy dad to his younger daughter Olivia (Yara Shahidi, who’s pretty annoying actually). He’s having a hard time keeping up with the crazy, New Age-meets-Native American techniques of professional rival Johnny Whitfeather (Thomas Hayden Church, in a lively and bizarre turn that steals the movie, as well as Tom Hanks’ haircut from “The Da Vinci Code”). Olivia is a bit sheltered, frequently going off into a fantasy world while hiding underneath her special blanket. While at work one day, she scribbles on a bunch of dad’s documents for a presentation, which isn’t good until- low and behold- they turn out to be the key to successful financial predictions. Soon Murphy steps up to the plate as a dad, but is it just because it’s helping his career?
Do I really need to go on? Does Murphy really need to keep making films like this? True, his character seems a touch edgier than we’re used to, but it’s the same ol’ family film song and dance in the end. Of course, hey, song and dance numbers might liven things up (maybe not for this story), but films like that have gone the way of Disney direct to DVD. But “Enchanted” worked beautifully as a live-action musical comedy. What would something like this be like in that vein? I think Eddie’s got what it takes for it, but is there a filmmaker fearless enough to write it? Anything to get Eddie back to the good ol’ days…
