Opens July 11, 2008. Run time: 1 hr. 30 min.
 | for bawdy and suggestive humor, action and some language |
Dave Ming Chang, newly arrived in New York City, may be the ultimate fish out of water. He's forty-something, pleasant looking and nattily dressed, even if his attire--an all-white suit, black tie and a neat black handkerchief tucked in his pocket--harkens back to the disco-centric '70s. But beyond his odd apparel, there's something not quite right about Dave. Even the way he walks is odd; as he makes his way through the streets of New York, one of his legs shoots out way too far with each step, like he's not comfortable in his own body. And for good reason: inside "Dave" is a crew of well-trained miniature people--a world within a world--that feverishly attempts to direct Dave's every action and conversation.
In each section of Dave's "body," a skilled crewperson (average height: one and three-quarters inches), sporting an insignia depicting a specific part of Dave's anatomy, mans a high tech console controlling Dave's movements. But Dave's crew, under the direction of the Captain from whom Dave takes his appearance, is experiencing a steep learning curve. When Dave attempts his first-ever sip of water, a tremendous wave of water rushes down, drenching everyone inside. When Dave tries on some clothing, a shirt becomes a cotton beast bent on smothering him. When he goes in for a simple medical exam, the metallic Dave must battle formidable magnetic forces from an MRI.
And a banquet of processed meat tubes he learns are called "hot dogs," leads to an explosive situation inside a men's room. As Dave--that is, those inside Dave--slowly navigates his way through these physical challenges, they begin to experience something with even more profound effects. A glimmer of emotion sweeps over the crew, which hails from a place that discourages emotion and individuality. Dave is changing--from the inside-out, and from the outside-in.
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Eddie Murphy INSIDE Eddie Murphy? Interesting concept. Too bad Meet Dave isn't as funny as the premise. Story Murphy is back playing multiple roles in a family comedy which would seem irresistible. Actually, Meet Dave is a germ of a good idea. Unfortunately, the "germ" didn't spread into the final script, which has our man Ed literally playing a spaceship that lands in New York City.
Inside Dave, as the ship is quickly named, are a group of tiny space explorers--a kind of Starship Enterprise meets Fantastic Voyage--who land on the gargantuan Earth in order to take our resources for their own planet's survival. The ship's commander (also played by Murphy) calls all the shots from his seat somewhere south of Dave's throat, while other crew members work the various appendages and body functions. The one-joke premise has Dave working undercover as a human being, wandering the streets of the Big Apple, mangling the language while trying to imitate the people he meets along the way in order to go undetected. A semi-love interest turns up when a young single mother, Gina (Elizabeth Banks), accidentally hits him with her car. This incident leads to a relationship with her and son Josh (Austyn Myers), who immediately bonds with Dave--for some strange reason.
But through these encounters with humans, Dave's crew discovers feelings and emotions they've never had--and all hell breaks loose. Acting Outside of the occasional supporting role, as with his superb Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning work in Dreamgirls, Eddie Murphy dominates an Eddie Murphy movie by playing multiple roles. In Meet Dave, he surprisingly only takes on two--as the robotic Dave and the commander who controls him--and underplaying the roles for a nice change of pace. The salsa nightclub where Dave and Gina tear up the dance floor (as the mini-crew inside his head give him instant dance lessons) is a highlight. Portraying a wacky alien is certainly irresistible, but Eddie Murphy plays his captain more Star Trek's Spock than goofball, almost making Meet Dave worth the price of admission.
Almost. Banks is not called on to be much more than pleasant in her earth-bound role but acquits herself nicely in the shadow of her imposing leading man. Myers is cute as the son but nothing more. Best among the supporting cast are some of the crew members, played by Gabrielle Union and particularly Ed Helms and Kevin Hart, who don't let their lack of height keep them from joining Eddie Murphy in getting most of what few solid laughs there are to be found in Meet Dave. Direction Director Brian Robbins--who guided Eddie Murphy through the fat suit-centric comedy Norbit and hit box office pay dirt despite the critical drubbing--teams up with his star again.
Success begets success in Hollywood, so it was natural for them to re-team on another gimmick comedy. The good news is Robbins, a former actor himself ( TV's Head of the Class) knows how to get out of the way and let Eddie be Eddie--or whoever he happens to be in any given scene. Thankfully, Robbins also encourages the rest of the cast to underplay their bits, keeping Meet Dave out of the overly broad comedic realm most of these films fall into these days. The problem for Robbins, Eddie Murphy and company is the film seems oddly flat and never quite matches a promising concept that must have worked well on the page. Meet Dave is passable family fare, occasionally even inspired, but in the end it remains earthbound.
Bottom Line Hollywood.com rated this film 2 stars.-Pete Hammond.
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