![]() Filming took place entirely in New York City on a budget of $75 million (after tax rebates), with several buildings provided by Donald Trump used to represent the eponymous tower. Ratner continued to develop the idea into what would eventually become Tower Heist, with Murphy later rejoining the production. As the script developed and changed into an Ocean's Eleven–style caper, Murphy left the project. Tower Heist began development as early as 2005, based on an idea by Murphy that would star him and an all-black cast of comedians as a heist group who rob Trump International Hotel and Tower. The plot follows employees of an exclusive apartment building who lose their pensions in the Ponzi scheme of a Wall Street businessman and enlist the aid of a criminal, a bankrupt businessman, and an immigrant maid to break into his apartment and steal back their money while avoiding the FBI agents in charge of his case. Mean calls Murphy the movie’s “not-so-secret weapon, who employs the unmistakable comic swagger that has been missing, and greatly missed, since the days of Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop.Tower Heist is a 2011 American heist comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, written by Ted Griffin and Jeff Nathanson, based on a story by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper and Griffin and starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy with Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña, and Gabourey Sidibe in supporting roles. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Sun’s Katherine Monk opined that Murphy “lights up the screen with his Molotov energy,” while the Salt Lake Tribune’s Sean P. Other praise for Murphy came from the Associated Press’ Christy Lemire, who wrote that “when Murphy’s on screen in his classic comic mode, it’s hard to focus on anyone or anything else.” VIDEO: Eddie Murphy Says Brian Grazer Saved ‘Tower Heist’ “It’s not going for too much, but I laughed a lot, despite knowing better, which was more or less any time Eddie Murphy says anything to Ben Stiller.” “ Tower Heist is smoothly made and smart enough,” he added. Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe wrote that Murphy gives the movie “scene after scene of jive gusto.” He doesn’t have much screen time in T ower Heist - just enough to steal it.” doesn’t get a little more elbow room,” he wrote.Īmy Biancolli wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Rare is the movie that doesn’t light up when Murphy cracks his face into a squinty-eyed grin. “I wouldn’t say that producer and co-star Murphy is slumming here, exactly, but it is too bad the superstar who ruled the world with such savvy commercial entertainments as the first Beverly Hills Cop and the first 48 Hrs. The Chicago Tribune’s Michael Phillips echoed that sentiment. ![]() PHOTOS: ‘Ben Stiller Show’ Alumni: Where Are They Now? You come away wishing he had more screen time (especially since the movie, albeit in a very different form, was apparently his idea in the first place).” “With the exception of his hee-hee-haw Donkey in Shrek, Murphy hasn’t been this funny since Beverly Hills Cop, the first edition. “ Tower Heist reminds you of the raw comic brilliance Murphy brought to Saturday Night Live all those years ago,” she wrote. Among them is Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times, who laments that Murphy didn’t get more screen time. Many other critics agree with McCarthy, praising Murphy’s performance as the best part of the movie. “This is the rude, confrontational, wiseass Murphy audiences have nearly forgotten after all the silly kid comedies and heavy-makeup outings of recent years.” “With Murphy’s full entrance at the 40-minute mark, the film’s energy and amusement level kick up a few notches, at least for a while,” he wrote. The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy wrote that Tower Heist marks a return to form for the actor-comedian. STORY: Ben Stiller Reveals ‘Zoolander’ Sequel Secrets Future of the Fockers and What He Thinks of ‘Tower Heist’ Co-Star Eddie Murphy as Oscar Host The movie itself has been getting mixed reviews, but what do the critics have to say about Murphy’s return to the genre where he got his start? But in recent years, he’s veered more toward family films like Daddy Day Care and the Shrek movies and even co-starred in the 2006 musical Dreamgirls, which earned him an Oscar nomination.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |