I’ve never seen anything remotely like this film before, which is one of the things that make this science fiction comedy watchable. Eddie Murphy’s latest star vehicle is easy to pick on, with Murphy playing both a spaceship – you read that right – and a small version of himself piloting the ship. “Meet Dave” has its moments of family-friendly humor: Murphy is an impressive mime, playing marionette with his body and acting (believably) like he is made of metal. He is an actor who likes taking comedic risks, but this is another time that tendency doesn’t develop into the best finished product.
A small space rock crash lands on Earth and is picked up by a young boy named Josh, who takes it to his school. A crew of aliens from a planet called Nil land in New York, looking to retrieve the rock. Their spaceship is in the form of a man (Murphy). The people of Nil are very small; dozens of them are needed to pilot and move the spaceship called Dave. They seek the rock because they wish to drain the salt out of Earth’s oceans to save their world. The aliens become enamored with Earth culture and find it increasingly difficult to complete their mission.
The plot works best for a younger audience. The other characters in the film do not react believably to Dave, especially with the boy’s mother (a hyperactive Elizabeth Banks, “Role Models“) inviting the strange man into her home. The film suffers mainly because there is little for the supporting cast to do. The woman’s love interest is barely developed, whereas the audience sees entirely too much of the alien crew. Overacting abounds amongst the inhabitants of Nil; hardly any humor comes from their antics.
Murphy highlights his body control and ability to mine humor from the outlandish in “Meet Dave.” Despite the shortcomings, the film is not boring and has some original moments of humor. Kids and those looking for something out of the ordinary may like this movie just enough to be worth giving it a try. This is not Murphy’s best material but neither is it his worst.
Rated PG for suggestive humor, action and some language.
