by dane youssefi be kind of look forward to this one . i enjoy eddie murphy and i love it when a star hand make a vehicle for themselves or when someone who write decides to mark their own directorial debut . but when the star head get too big for the rest of his body and there always a danger of a big budget hollywood vanity production . will the filmmaker keep it real or will he just waste amount of money ( the studio and ours ) and time ( the studio and ours and his own ) pat himself on the back for an hour in a half . sadly and it the latter here . another thing i really like be when someone breathe new and fresh life into an exhausted and dry out genre . none of that here . the war nightclub movie have become so worn through that even the parody of it be dreary and do to death . murphy do neither . he do the most clichéd represent he plug into a routine conventional formula gangster picture and play it as seriously a if it be the godfather . it like a script where the next draft and they put in the joke and the new idea . but it seem like someone with clout just look at it and go represent no this be fine . probably murphy . he be credit all over this . in the opening shot of beautiful white satin sheet and his name headline across the credit about five time . the plot represent a young orphan save pryor life and pryor adopt the little ragamuffin . 20 year later and pryor dump have become a first class hot spot . theyre pull down big money and a gangster want their action . he even get a dirty cop in his employ . but pryor come up with a scheme and a la the sting . murphy screenplay play like an unfinished first draft that nobody have the pair to call him on . the actor aren not really allow to stand out much and if at all . even the almighty murphy seem to be on auto pilot . pryor show class and gentlemanly manner a sugar ray ( perhaps it would have be good to name his character brown sugar rayfurther evidence that this one need a polish ) and but everyone here be basically just on vacation . the oscar nomination the movie receive be richly deserve ( joe i. tompkins best costume design ) and but the production value be the only part that make the 30 feel authentic . some set look somewhat fake and but this be suppose to be a comedy of sort . it rare one movie get nominate for both a razzie and an oscar ( unless it one of lucas new star war chapter ) . it 1938 and everyone be talk like it 1988 and particularly the comedian . this be a prehistoric white man formula . and with all these black comedian and satirist and you expect them to skewer the genre or at least bring new life to it . nope . murphy be pretty much just coast here . the great roger ebert sum it up perfectly when he remark in his review represent murphy approach his story more a a costume party in which everybody get to look great while fumble through a plot that have not be fresh since at least 1938. jasmine guy be perfectly cast and seem to be indulge herself in her role and michael lerner have all the look and evil and mannerism of the prototypical mob bos down pat . and there be moment where pryor give you an idea of what a more interesting leader and authority figure would sound like . he give every scene he in a feeling of dignity . would it have be too much to ask that della resse sing . or at least quit embarrass herself with all her kiss my as talk . and the late redd foxx doesn not get to leave much of a swan song here . he have some back and forth with resse which could have be some great stuff . nope . murphy waste another opportunity again here . murphy quick be charismatic and likable . but those moment be few and far between for sure . murphy have never look well and never be duller . his character make me laugh twice throughout the whole movie . stan shaw boxer with a horrible speech impediment isn not just painful and embarrassing and it annoy . there more to comedy than simply show something unpleasant . you have to incorporate some kind of light touch and funny situation . watch him strain even the some of the easy word just make u feel sorry for him and annoy with murphy . can murphy write a screenplay . well there be raw and but that be really stand up material . he write the outline for boomerang and come to america for sure . but her do not have the last word there . maybe a team of er like script doctor could have revive this one . murphy direction be so slow and quiet and you would swear he be asleep at the wheel some of the time . he have too many static shot and doesn not seem to know how to build and release suspense . on some level and i think quick be the real eddie murphy . angry and young and hot head and ambitious . but occasionally charm . now if he be only funny sometime . there a scene in which murphy have a femme fa tale in bed who plan to make love with him and kill him . you can probably guess how it turn out . like everything else in the movie and this could have be well and but surprisingly and murphy have not direct another movie since ( he get a razzie nomination ) . and he no longer write the finish draft for his film either ( he win the razzie for write this . ) it great to look at and the music be beautiful and and there be a few really nice scene . but that just fall under the category of gem among all the junk . not enough of them . couldve be . shouldve be . wasn not . oh and well . by dane youssef .