The Phantom Tollbooth - Movies Reviews Index


Since 1996	Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....


Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	Meet Dave I must say I am the first to admit when I am wrong. It isn’t easy and I don’t like to, but I will. I went into the new Eddie Murphy comedy, Meet Dave, with very low expectations. His string of bad movies of late (excluding Dream Girls) has left no room for anticipation or excitement. Norbit was the worst movie ever made, finally giving the creators of Gigli and Ishtar a chance to breath a sigh of relief. Plus I will not even mention Pluto Nash and The Haunted Mansion. So when Meet Dave began I was ready for another round of forgettable film making. And in my head I was bashing it from the opening scene. Finding fault in every little thing that I could because I knew it would be horrible. But then about five minutes in I found myself not only laughing but laughing a lot, and at times uncontrollably. Meet Dave is about a group of tiny aliens from another planet who come to Earth in order to pilfer its entire water source. This miniature militia has found nothing on Earth worth saving and has no problem securing its resources to save their own planet. When their high-tech, water stealing, space age, gizmo winds up in the hands of a young boy, they must try and get it back while going unnoticed. This is pretty easy considering that there space craft is made in human form and can walk around just like the rest of us. All the while inside it is being driven and manipulated by the team of aliens. The captain of “Dave” (Eddie Murphy) is a no nonsense analytical who is intrigued by earth’s inhabitants. As the pilot of Dave he must draw in data around him in order to blend in with the rest of the world. His crew, as well, are your typical space aliens, all thought process with no heart or emotion. It is only when they start interacting with mankind do they start to realize that for all of our faults; there is also some good there too. The film is the funniest when it shows how humorous our words and actions must seem to anyone looking on from afar. When taken literal, as Dave usually does, they are largely comical. I was never so happy to be wrong. I had lost faith in Murphy’s comic strength and thought he was washed up for good. But he is back to the Eddie we used to know; the one who blew us away in The Nutty Professor. Playing dual rolls as the tiny skipper as well as the human formed space ship, Murphy uses both sides of his acting brain to make each one work. As the spaceship he takes body language to a new level creating a character that you sometimes forget is a real person. I also loved the subtle message of this film. It is easy to look at our world through the eyes of a cynic but once you get to know people and see the good that many of us have inside, it makes you care a little more for those around you. As the outside world begins to rub off on the crew they at first seem to be worse for it, but then you discover it is by truly living that we become who we are meant to be, and go beyond simply existing. Meet Dave is rated PG for bawdy and suggestive humor, action and some language. Bawdy is an overstatement as I found nothing even remotely offensive about this family film. Sure there are a couple of bathroom jokes but they are tame and Nickelodeon in nature. I think the over all humor and message trumps anything you would find to complain about. It is certainly a surprise film and one that I hope doesn’t fly past your radar. I give Dave 3.5 out of 5 giant heads. It was a pleasure meeting him after all. Matt Mungle (7/22/08) Matt is a member of the North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) and hosts a daily online talk show along with a weekend radio feature, The Mungles on Movies, with his wife Cindy. For additional reviews, interview clips and great DVD giveaways, visit the website www.mungleshow.com Review copyright 2008 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.