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Reviews Counted:96
Fresh:18
Rotten:78
Average Rating:4.1/10
Consensus: Easy gags and slack direction drag this occasionally clever alien-out-of-planet comedy down to unimaginative lows.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jul 10, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $11,644,832
Synopsis: Actor-turned-director Brian Robbins (VARSITY BLUES, THE PERFECT SCORE) is at the helm of comedian Eddie Murphy's alien adventure, MEET DAVE. Murphy stars as the minuscule captain of an alien... [More]
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, Scott Caan
Director: Brian Robbins
Heralding a return to form for Eddie Murphy, this cleverly conceived and executed sci-fi comedy offers plenty of laughs for all ages. The considerable challenge for the filmmakers was to streamline three realities and make each one credible.
Top CriticHeralding a return to form for Eddie Murphy, this cleverly conceived and executed sci-fi comedy offers plenty of laughs for all ages.
Top CriticNot much about Meet Dave is memorable, so I'm having trouble remembering.
Top CriticI'm sure a more refined filmmaker could've squeezed the premise tighter for sophisticated laughs, but as family-angled sci-fi comedies go, Dave is actually quite agreeable. Who knew Murphy still had some fun left in him?
In Meet Dave, family-friendly as a Fourth of July picnic, Murphy and Norbit director Brian Robbins redeem themselves with a performance and scenario that might have been developed for Steve Martin.
...one could certainly do much worse as far as Murphy's family-friendly output goes.
It's not every day Eddie Murphy releases something that doesn't make you want to rip your eyes out. In its own way, it is a fun movie.
certainly a step up from Norbit...
Cynics may expect the worst of another Eddie Murphy vehicle involving extraterrestrials -- insert joke about The Adventures of Pluto Nash here -- but that only makes Meet Dave all the more pleasant a surprise.
Top CriticDumbfoundingly erratic, for the most part, but smart and funny from time to time, especially when Mr. Murphy, in the pseudo-person of the spaceship, tries to imitate earthling behavior.
Top CriticIt's about time this guy realized he doesn't need those Norbit prosthetics.
Aside from some unnecessarily crude stereotypes, Eddie Murphy's least-painful comedy in years has a certain peculiar charm.
The summer popcorn flick manages to deliver more than the standard sci-fi send-up, thanks to a solid supporting cast -- most of whom come from TV -- that help bolster Murphy's average work.
Director Brian Robbins keeps things moving along briskly and maintains a genial air throughout; all that plus an air-conditioned theatre makes Meet Dave a good bet for family viewing.
Contrary to appearances Meet Dave isn't terrible, with several laugh-out-loud moments funnier than anything in, say, a month.
Likeable sci-fi comedy with some nice ideas and two surprisingly charming performances from Eddie Murphy, though it's not as funny as it could have been.
Meet Dave alone may not radically change the course of Eddie Murphy's drooping career. But it is, at least, a little olive branch held out to his audience. And that's better than Nil.
It's a silly kid's movie, nothing more. But for some, this may be a chance to meet Eddie.
After a myriad of disappointing films, Murphy finally appears in a funny, inventive movie. If you like to smile and laugh, this is highly recommended.
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