Eddie Murphymight be tearing up the streaming charts right now thanks to his new Prime Video hit,The Pickup, but long before the actor took on the role of an armored car driver, he took on several in a 2007 comedy that critics absolutely despised. Nominated for seven Razzies, it has just a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but now, Murphy has come to the film’s defense, saying it “ain’t that bad.”
We’re, of course, talking aboutNorbit, the comedy film directed by Brian Robbins that saw Murphy portray not one, not two, but three different roles. Not only did he play the titular character, but he played Norbit’s wife, Rasputia Latimore, and Mr. Hangten Wong, the Chinese owner of an orphanage. Hitting theaters on August 22, 2025, the film was released one week after Murphy scored theone and only Academy Award nomination of his career, as he was recognized for Best Supporting Actor for his role inDreamgirls. Sadly,Norbitfailed to earn Murphy the same critical acclaim, as pundits called it “mean-spirited,” “one-dimensional,” and “offensively bad.”
During a recent interview withComplex, Murphy spoke at length with host Speedy Morman about his career, and the subject ofNorbiteventually came up. After Morman revealed that he actually liked the film, Murphy came to its defense and said, “I love Norbit.” He continued:
“Norbit came out right after I got that Oscar nomination. There were articles like, ‘How can he get an Oscar, he did this?’ They’re two different movies. I wrote Norbit with my brother, Charlie, and we think Norbit is funny. Here’s the thing with ‘Norbit,’ it came out, and they gave me a Razzie Award for worst actress, worst actor, and worst actor of the decade. And I was like, ‘Come on now, s**t ain’t that bad.'”
Was ‘Norbit’ Really That Bad?
If you just go by box office numbers, then no,Norbitreally wasn’t that bad. It took top spot its opening weekend, and would go on to earn $159 million against a budget of $60 million. It was Murphy’s 14th #1 box office opener, proving that the comedian still had a lot of drawing power after 25 years in the business at that time.
That being said, while on the surfaceNorbitseemed like a harmless comedy about a mild-mannered guy reconnecting with his childhood sweetheart, it was a movie that wasfilled with crude comedythat relied more on body-shaming and fart jokes than anything else. It was packed full of racist stereotypes, featured very little character development, and brought absolutely nothing new to the table. It was a regurgitated comedy that belonged in the 80s more than it did in 2007.
However,Norbitdoes have its fans besides Murphy. Its Rotten Tomatoes audience score sits at 53%, which is head and shoulders above what critics gave it. Recently called “fantastic” by some, and “very entertaining” by others in 2025, it’s clear that there’s a market for that brand of humor. Even with its positive reviews, though, it’s doubtful that the film would be given the green light today, and rightfully so.
If you want to check it out for yourself and see why the film earned seven Razzie nominations and took home three trophies,Norbitis streaming now on Paramount+, or for free on Tubi.
