A Thousand Words

by Edward Dunn

A THOUSAND WORDS
PG-13
91 Minutes
Director: Brian Robbins
Writer:Steve Koren
Eddie Murphy,Cliff Curtis, Kerry Washington, Clark Duke

Cast
Eddie Murphy Jack McCall
Cliff Curtis Dr. Sinja
Kerry Washington Caroline Mc..
Clark Duke Aaron Wiseberger


A brief departure from his regular gig at Universal Studios'You know, making a movie is a collaborative effort and sometimes all the ingredients don't work out. I know that every now and again I am going to make a movie that won't work.'
-Eddie Murphy


Make like Ryan Leaf and steal some Percocet



After lying to an Indian guru, to get him to sign a book deal. Literary agent, Jack McCoc finds a Bodhi tree in his back yard. There are one-thousand leaves on this tree. A leaf falls every time Jack speaks a word. He dies if all the leaves fall off the tree.What this movie tries to illustrate most is that the words we speak have consequences.


Normally, you would expect Steve Carell or Jim Carey to play Jack McCall. And Morgan Freeman would play the new-age guru. I suppose they had better things to do.




Jack cannot speak for three days. As you can guess, this makes for some awkward business and social interactions. There is no writing words, but he can play charades with people. No one understands the predicament he's in; concise communication is of the utmost importance.





Personally, I would get one of those Stephen Hawking voice dealies. But that's against the rules. So he can't communicate in English, via his mouth or his hands. Oh, he can talk to animals, but Dr. Doolittle is curiously absent from this adventure. What he ends up doing is using talking action figures to make important conference calls with business clients.






D.J. Be good or you can't watch Howdy Doody

Jack's mother has dementia. His mother frequently confuses him with his deceased father. Comedically, this doesn’t work. Mostly because Eddie Murphy doesn’t play the role of his mother. Unfortunately, all we’re left with is a sad situation.





John Witherspoon usually serves as a vehicle for fart jokes, but here he plays a blind guy crossing the street... oh, and he almost gets hit.

Recently, I reviewed Tower Heist, Eddie was good in this. Furthermore, if we go back a little further to 2006, he plays James 'Thunder' Early in Dreamgirls. 'Member that part where he starts talking off his clothes on live television...that was awesome.

Jimmy want a piece of your chocolate cake

But more than all that Jimmy wants a break

'Cause Jimmy got soul, Jimmy got soul

Granted, it's not, Imagine That (2009), or The Haunted Mansion (2003).

Children make a wish, it’s a falling star

My critics might say that making fun of Eddie Murphy movies is too easy. And to that, I say: you are absolutely correct.

Final Verdict: 20 out of 100


‘It's not the first hooker I've helped out. I've seen hookers on corners and I'll pull over and they'll go, 'Oh you're Eddie Murphy, oh my God,' and I'll empty my wallet out to help.’