Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

vchimpanzee I've enjoyed many of Eddie Murphy's movies over the years, and most of them are quite funny. He continues to show talent, but somehow I felt something was missing, even though Jack's attempts to communicate were hilarious. Ultimately, while this isn't as special as many of his earlier efforts, Murphy is pretty good here.I didn't recognize Kerry Washington, and maybe it's just as well. Considering that she is currently regarded as one of the best actresses on TV, I didn't see anything here to support that idea.As Jack's poor assistant Aaron, Clark Duke's performance varies. It may be just me, but I didn't care much for him at first. But he is hilarious trying to act "street" with professional people thinking that's how Jack would talk, and failing miserably at impressing them. And later Aaron is quite good at helping Jack deal with his problems.This is mostly a comedy, but toward the end it has a deeper meaning and an important lesson, making it more than just the silly mess it started out to be.I want to point out two more acting performances, one brief and one more significant. John Witherspoon is wonderful as the father of the President of the United States in "The First Family", and while he is only on screen for a few seconds as a blind man trying to cross the street, he shows just as much talent as on his TV series, in a scene that is one of the movie's funniest.And Ruby Dee as Jack's mother who is losing her memory gives the movie's standout performance. She doesn't say much early on, but later she has a brilliant scene. It's not so much that she is losing her mind. She seems quite normal and intelligent except for the fact she can't comprehend that the man in the room with her is not her husband. I was also impressed by a couple of scenes which I didn't quite understand. Either Jack's young son has gotten older and is telling his father he misses him, or Jack is seeing his younger self. The boy in the scene does quite well.It's not a bad movie, really. Just don't expect anything like Murphy's past successes.

floyd beck Definitely not a family film. Numerous profanities, including an F word, and pornographic. The daycare scene presents a gratuitous promotion of gay couples. It is extremely sad, because the premise of the movie is creative; a man leaves a small taint of blood when he touches a tree and gets a sliver. The selfish, verbose man, insensitive because he talks incessantly and refuses to listen to others, finds out he is now connected to the large tree and each word he utters results in a leaf dropping. He is warned that he will die when the last leaf has fallen. Unfortunately, the director chose to mix creativeness with porn, resulting in a worthless film.

phoenix 2 Remember that movie with the lawyer who couldn't lie? Well, meet the book publisher who can't talk. Mixed up with some spiritual theories, the movie tells the story of a publisher who lied constantly and talked constantly as well, in order to get what he wanted. He was good in twisting everything to his own benefit, until a tree appears in his yard that looses leaves with his every word. And when the leaves have all fallen, the man will die. Of course that will bring some funny moments with the man trying to find ways to talk without talking, and continuing his life as it was, while trying to accept what is happening to him. The fun part comes manly from Murphy, who delivers in an okay scale, though the script didn't help him in that area. Of course, after the laughter comes the self reflecting moment. We knew that the film was aiming somehow deep, with the mother who couldn't recognise her son, but still, the whole "journey" through the soul and past takes about ten minutes in total. So 2 out of 10.

Python Hyena A Thousand Words (2012): Dir: Brian Robbins / Cast: Eddie Murphy, Kerry Washington, Clarke Duke, Cliff Curtis, Allison Janney: Condemned with negative reviews yet it still manages to speak to me with a message of communication. Eddie Murphy plays a publisher who talks his way through deals until a book guru makes him own up to his promises. A tree suddenly uproots in his backyard in an effect so horrendous that it resembles one of those inflated castles seen at birthday parties. Anyway, with every spoken word a leaf falls to the ground leaving Murphy to make his remaining words count. The concept is appealing with a terrific stage for Murphy who must charade his way through everyday communications. This is highly formula but the ending actually pulls through with a satisfying surprise that speaks louder than words with its spring time appeal. Director Brian Robbins previously made Varsity Blues, and this very well may be his best since. Murphy survives the silent gestures but Kerry Washington as his wife is standard fare with her complaining for his time and the need for a bigger house to raise their kid. Cliff Curtis as the book guru is a complete idiot. Why this curse pursues Murphy is not explained and Curtis is no road map on the matter. Clark Duke as Murphy's assistant is the one ambitious supporting player trying to communicate unsuccessfully for Murphy while saving him from himself. Allison Janney also makes an appearance and reminds us that she was a scene stealer in other films. Great message regarding the words we speak that uplift as oppose to descend to the ground. Score: 6 / 10