It's easy for the world to take Eddie Murphy for granted. He is such a versatile performer, almost chameleon-like, and yet insists on limiting his range to comedies and musicals. What does it say that one of Eddie Murphy's least arduous performances, as "James Thunder Early" in Dreamgirls, was still one of the 20 best performances of 2006? What it says to me is that Murphy is so talented as an actor he could play Chris Gardner and Idi Amin in his sleep--if it really challenged him. A versatile comic performer, I believe, does possess the range to do drama. I don't believe the myth that all comedians are second rate actors. True, some are limited--I never bought Will Ferrell as a normal tax man in Stranger Than Fiction, nor do I buy Jim Carrey as anything besides a manically funny Playdough man come to life. But Murphy is truly an actor's actor, worlds above Will Smith and Forrest Whitaker, who happens to be more comfortable making crap, with the occasional Oscar bid. Why does Eddie Murphy not make more relevant films? It could be his short attention span--more importantly, it could be his name. Perhaps studio heads put him on a short leash, as no one is going to want to see Eddie Murphy as a Ugandan Dictator, unless there's a "heh heh heh" at the end.

What can a movie critic say about Norbit, Murphy's latest one-man freak show in which he plays three characters, two of them black, and one Chinese? And yes, one of them a woman, and a massive spectacle of Big Momma Evil known as Rasputia (named after Rasputin perhaps?), one of the most vile characters we've ever seen in a Hollywood comedy. The story is ridiculous, the tender love story between shy guy Norbit and Kate (played by a stunning Thandie Newton) is unconvincing and the abusive relationship between Rasputia and Norbit is more disturbing than funny. Still, the movie assaults your funny bone, visually, aurally and aesthetically.

Murphy's Rasputia defiantly shows off her fake blubber in a swimsuit. Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams, as a pair of wedding-crashing pimps, do the unthinkable and actually try to steal the show from Eddie Murphy. Racist jokes and politically incorrect humor splash around like a fat black woman in a Water Park. Of course, this is all way over the top but you can't ignore something so provocative, comedically or aesthetically. There are some big laughs in Norbit though most of the humor is dark and mean-spirited, as Norbit is constantly abused in the picture by--ironically--a large black woman, who would usually be the victim of a corrupt society. In this picture, she is the society and her three gigantic brothers are the source of her dictatorial power. Aesthetically speaking, though many critics will hate this movie for its obvious laughs, I have to give credit to Murphy for creating one of the most disturbing movie villains in recent memory.

Norbit might not be your idea of a good time, and it does run slightly too long. The more complicated the story gets, the more joy is lost. Come on, Eddie, you're not fooling anyone here! You're making B-movie comedy with a bunch of ethnic stereotypes. Less is much, much more in this case. But Norbit remains watchable just to admire the feral comedy spirit in Murphy, still a fearless comedian after all these years, vastly over-qualified and laughing off his Dreamgirls Oscar nomination in multiple voices. Grade: B-