The comedy film becomes the first wide release pic thats earns a harsh zero score from reliable film critics aggregated on Rotten Tomatoes site.
- Mar 10, 2012
AceShowbiz - Eddie Murphy's latest comedy movie, "A Thousand Words", has been included in Rotten Tomatoes' list of worst reviewed films ever. The widely panned movie becomes the first 2012's wide release pic which earns a zero score from film critics aggregated on the reliable movie site. The "perfect zero" score marks a historic critical attack that puts the comedian in a special category.
Rotten Tomatoes' editor in chief, Matt Atchity, said to The Hollywood Reporter of the disappointing result of Murphy's upcoming comedy. "Since we put a score up for a film with as little as five reviews, there are a lot of very small films that have releases, but for wide releases, there are probably only 3 or 4 dozens [zeroes] going back to the start of the site in 1999," he explained.
"On the list of the zeroes, it ['A Thousand Words'] will probably come in at fifth or sixth worst in history, but since reviews are still coming in, it may rank higher [or lower depending on your POV] on that list," he added.
Atchity said that there are more than 10,000 better-reviewed films compared to "A Thousand Words" on the site. " 'Bucky Larson' was the worst of the bunch last year, with a zero, and that joins the ranks of other 0|percent| wide release like 'Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever', 'One Missed Call', 'Benigni's Pinocchio' and 'Killing Me Softly'," he added.
Murphy's "A Thousand Words", which was made back in 2008, has been slammed with harsh reactions from various acknowledged critics. THR reviewer Frank Scheck brands it "a tired, formulaic comedy", while The Associated Press calls it "hollow, stumbling."
USA Today claims, "Its message is banal", and The New York Times says, "Inoffensive, unsurprising and uninspiring." Meanwhile, The Washington Post names it "more bland than actively bad" as Globe and Mail dubs it "utterly misguided."
Opening nationwide today, March 9, "A Thousand Words" follows Murphy's Jack, a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time and any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. However, Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack's life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard.
With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. While words have never failed Jack, he now has got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he's a goner.
Directed by Brian Robbins and written by Steve Koren, the comedy is also supported by Clark Duke, Cliff Curtis, Kerry Washington, Allison Janney and Ariel Winter.
