Holy Man (1998)

An unholy disaster...

Obviously you want to like `Holy Man'. It stars Eddie Murphy, one of Hollywood's funniest working comedians, and his name alone should warrant honest laughs. Sadly `Holy Man' fails to deliver the goods on just about every level.

I remember laughing out loud once when I saw this movie in the theater, and when I watched this debacle again the other night that outward expression of enjoyment was turned inward and remained one of those thoughts, you know the ones, the `oh that was kinda funny' thought that never goes anywhere but your mind. `Holy Man' could have been a brilliantly crafted satire but instead it becomes a joke, but not the funny kind; more like a painfully unfunny joke that leaves the audience uncomfortably frustrated.

So `Holy Man' stars Murphy as G, a religious eccentric who is making his way to his pilgrimage when he is traumatized by Ricky Hayman who accidentally almost runs G over. Feeling somewhat guilty, and feeling pressure from his would-be girlfriend Kate, Ricky offers G his home until he is well enough to continue his journey. The kicker is that Ricky is the producer of a home-shopping network that is dropping in points and his new boss is breathing down his neck to either increase ratings or look for another job. Kate, who happens to be the shows marketer, realizes (after G makes an unexpected appearance on the show) that G may be the answer to their prayers. Soon G becomes the new host with the most as his eccentric forms of enlightenment draw in viewers and sell, sell, sell.

As far as acting is concerned, Murphy is good but he is not all that funny. He really could have taken G to a whole other level but he kept him lowbrow and somewhat boring. He had a few chuckle worthy scenes but the overall film is so painfully underwhelming you can't bring yourself to acknowledge the chuckle. Jeff Goldblum never ceases to annoy me; well he ceases on occasion but as a rule he is generally the worst part of a specific movie. I give him points for actually staying within my tolerance is this film. His neurotic tendencies seem to be a little more tempered and controlled and thus he becomes a little more accessible and so I give him props there. It's a shame that he decided to make this the movie he matured in. Kelly Presley is a throwaway character here, serving her purpose of clichéd romantic lead and moral compass.

Blah, blah, blah.

In fact the only actor that kept me interested was Robert Loggia who plays Hayman's boss McBainbridge (a stark contrast from his delightful boss in `Big'). I just like Loggia I think so maybe I was blinded to the cliché ridden character he was playing. Oh well, at least he wasn't boring.

In the end I would pass on this mess if I were you. There are so many better comedies out there, even one's that star Murphy, that to waste your time and energy trying to find a laugh amidst this poor excuse for commercial success is just a crime against your better judgment. I should have let me memory of disappointment guide me far away from ever watching this film again. Next time; well, hopefully there won't be a next time. June 19, 2008

Talent is the key issue here!

I'm writting this review for one simple reason, I was astounded to see it has a measly 3 star rating. Thats totally absurd. Its a definite 4 star movie and that's only because I only give 5 stars to the most incredible flicks. I'm giving 5 here because of all the idiots who slandered this really entertaining movie. One key thing that makes a movie a 4 or 5 star movie to me is if it is rewatchable or not. I've seen this one about 5 times and enjoy it a lot. The key here is Eddie Murphy is so talented, he has more than enough depth to do so well in parts like this where he isnt trying to crack you up by being a total baffoon, but rather he's entertaining you with a great character, made so believeable. It's amazing how well he does playing multiple characters in other movies, something few can do any better than he does. But some shallow minds can't seem to realize this is called talent. some people have a lot of it, like Steve Martin for example. He makes a great movie like "Shopgirl" and doesnt have to be a funny man throughout the movie, he is enjoyable just because he is versatile, and TALENTED. ofcourse Clair Danes is a show stealer and truly deserves being the center of the movie and boy does she ever play it perfectly,, maybe I should go leave a review for that one too if it isn't already rated at 5 stars. anyway, to make one last point here, this is a movie you add to your collection if you enjoy pure entertainment and love to watch fun unique movies. If you are a one track mind kind of person, just slander the movie like all the other small minds seem to be doing, but to intelligent people everywhere, this is a fun movie worth buying, and watching many times to come! Enjoy! March 4, 2008

I love all .. unconditionally

Except for this movie. It was awful.

I love Eddie Murphy. But in this movie he just wasn't believable. The real Eddir Murphy would not be caught dead in those hideous robes. And that fake mustache was the worst. I hated it.

The only thing holy about this movie was the stink it gave off. I'm only giving it five stars because I had a dream that someday I was going marry Eddie Murphy and I didn;t want him to see these reviews and be angry at me and then we might get divorced and he'd make me return all teh wedding gifts, including that salad dryer I liked so much. December 10, 2007

The movie is great for the whole family

"Holy Man" is a comedy about a home shopping channel executive named Ricky (Jeff Goldblum) whose sales have not seen an increase in over a year. A marketing consultant (Kelly Preston) and Ricky end up meeting a very unusual person named G (Eddie Murphy) who just might be able to help them.

G is earthy, philosophical, mystical and non-materialistic. He is a man on a spiritual quest but because is willing to help others he agrees to become a shopping channel celebrity. Along the way, G teaches Ricky, as well as the shoppers, a few things about living a more fulfilling life. Ricky and G are an odd match and their interactions are funny.

With its great acting and an amusing story "Holy Man" should appeal to most audiences. The film is great for the whole family and doesn't have anything most people would find objectionable. "Holy Man" is a fun movie that will probably make you laugh at least a few times.
September 16, 2007

Eddie's turned into a religious man!

Hollywood favorite Eddie Murphy will make religious people laugh with this awesome flick. Great support from Jeff Goldblum,Kelly Preston and Robert Loggia. If you saw this film and loved it,I'm sure you'll love 48 HOURS,ANOTHER 48 HOURS,THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN,BEVERLY HILLS COP 1,2 and 3,COMING TO AMERICA,THE GOLDEN CHILD,TRADING PLACES,BOOMERANG,HARLEM NIGHTS,the DOCTOR DOLITTLE films(remakes) and THE NUTTY PROFESSOR films(remakes). November 26, 2006

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