Smug and Self Indulgent

Rating: 6/10 (23 April 2002)

Maybe it's because I knew too much about what went on behind the making of this movie, or maybe it was the stale retread jokes, annoying characters or cliché themes that we were supposed to believe to be fresh. I just didn't think much of this movie. The blasting of Disney by Katzenberg was too obvious for my taste, the character of Donkey really bothered me. I like Eddie Murphy a lot more when he's live and doing crazy things like pretending to be "Mr. White" on Saturday Night Live or making fun of some of the stranger aspects of Stardom in "Bowfinger." If the movie is about not judging by appearances, why all the short jokes related to Farquad? Frankly, the only parts I found funny were John Lithgow's deliciously malicious villain bits, especially the joke about the gingerbread man. Otherwise this movie feels about as smugly self mocking as Charlie's Angels and far less sexy.

6 out of 10