THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH
In 2002, audiences were not over the moon about Eddie Murphy’s lacklustre lead in his lunar adventure. Did the script lack the right rocket fuel?
Why it was a good idea (on paper)
After a post-’80s slump, Eddie Murphy coldcocked critics with a batch of audiencefriendly comebacks. Credited to a writer with cult-ish comedy form (Neil Cuthbert; Hocus Pocus, Mystery Men) and a director with crowdpleasing previous (Ron Underwood; Tremors, City Slickers), Murphy’s new Moon romp was surely worth a shot.
What went wrong?
When Underwood boarded Nash in 1998, he thought nine months – while Murphy completed another gig – would be enough time to repair a script dating from 1983. Rewrites followed, most rejected by Murphy, who remained visibly disinterested even when filming began. While Underwood recalled a strained shoot, grim 2001 test screenings provoked Warner Bros to enforce delays and bankroll costly reshoots. After negative online reports further sullied the film’s rep, Warner delayed Nash again to avoid clashes with Murphy’s Showtime, another flop that may have stymied any lingering hopes for the star’s return. Terrible publicity hardly helped Nash’s cause: “There is a giant rock called the
Moon,” intoned the trailer, ludicrously. But perhaps the whole stolidly directed, unfunny, cast-wasting folly was beyond repair. With no advance press screenings, Nash suffered grim reviews and worse opening-weekend returns, squished by forgotten surfing movie Blue Crush.
Redeeming feature
Rosario Dawson rises above Nash’s sexist gags in warm, engaged support. Nods to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump add odd splashes of prescience, too.
What happened next?
The decade’s biggest flop, Nash derailed careers. Underwood left films for TV; Cuthbert never got another film made. At least Murphy could laugh as his career wobbled on: “I know two or three people that liked this movie.”
Should it be remade?
After 15 years of failed script development, Nash should never have been made in the first place. Twenty years on, the title is mired in mega-flop notoriety. Relaunch is not an option.