Trading Places

Trading Places

Paramount

June 8, 1983

Comedy, I guess

DVD
D+

I had to keep reminding myself that this was a comedy, because it wasn't so much painfully unfunny as nonfunny.  Still, it was nice seeing Philadelphia.  John Landis directed.

Shrek

Shrek

DreamWorks

May 18, 2001

Animation, Children's, Comedy, Fantasy

DVD
C-

I enjoyed this at the time, although not a lot, but it didn't really grab me now, maybe because this approach is no longer as fresh as it was then.  This is very loosely based on the William Steig picture book, and co-directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson.

Showtime

Showtime 

Village Roadshow etc.

March 15, 2002

Crime Comedy
DVD
C-

Better than I expected.  Tom Dey directed, four years before Failure to Launch.

Mulan (1998)

Mulan (1998)

Disney

June 19, 1998

Historical Drama, Historical Comedy, War Drama, War Comedy, Musical*

DVD
B-

A G-rated Disney movie about cross-dressing, implied nudity, concubines, and of course war?  It was The Nineties.  Anyway, while not a typical princess movie, I like it better than most, if not as much as I did when I saw it for the first time about fifteen years ago.  The voice acting is fun, if not always culturally appropriate.  (Not that I will ever knock June Foray of course.  The woman was a long-lived legend.)

Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook co-directed.

*I'm skipping the "romance" tag because it's such a minor part of the story.

Mr. Church

Mr. Church

Cinelou etc.

September 16, 2016

Historical Drama
DVD
D

An ungrateful brat is rude to the cook, played by an uncharacteristically subdued Murphy.  Bruce Beresford directed years after Her Alibi and Double Jeopardy, which I also disliked.

I-Spy

I-Spy

Sony Pictures Releasing

November 1, 2002

Action, Comedy

DVD
D-

Annoying on many levels, including sexism, although directed by Betty Thomas.

The Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion

Disney

November 26, 2003

Children's, Comedy, Fantasy

DVD
C-

A workaholic father learns the importance of family, I assume, since I tuned out before they actually got into the mansion.  Rob Minkoff directed.

Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls
DreamWorks and Paramount
December 25, 2006
Musical, Historical Drama
DVD
C+

Bill Condon wrote and directed this award-winning adaptation of the Broadway hit.  I feel like, despite the acclaim, there's a dazzling movie trapped in a not bad one.  I'm not really sure what the issue(s) I have are about it, but I think it's that the operatic and soap-operatic elements don't really jell with the more realistic, human moments.  Like the clash within the movie between "soul" and "glitz."  Note that while I could see dashes of James Brown and Little Richard in then-45-year-old Murphy's performance, it also reminded me some of the cocky twentysomething Eddie of the 1980s.

Daddy Day Care

Daddy Day Care
Columbia
May 9, 2003
Comedy
DVD
D+

Unfunny and stereotypical (with some cliches even dragged in just for nonexistent laughs, like the "Gypsies").  Still, bumped up a notch or two for the interesting cast, although I didn't get to see everyone.  Steve Carr (mis)directed.

Coming to America

Coming to America
Paramount
June 29, 1988
Comedy
DVD
D+

It's hard to say which is more cringey, the racism or the sexism, but I think I'm going to go with the racist sexism.  I did smile at the intercom joke though, and the sets are great, so a D+ rather than a D.  Murphy co-wrote and Landis directed.