Search - Vampire in Brooklyn-Dvd (Chk) on DVD

A Brilliant twist on the '90s Murphy formula!

curtis martin | Redmond, WA, USA | 07/23/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy single-handedly recreated the Black Action hero, replacing the old murderous superstud of the 1970s with black characters who depended on their quick wits more than their big guns. That formula was quickly run dry, however, both by Murphy himself and the imitators he inspired. So, Eddie intelligently decided that he needed to recreate a forgotten genre of comedy, one which Peter Sellars had mastered in the 60s, and which only Murphy could do today: he would make movies in which he played multiple characters. The Genesis began with "Coming to America", in which Murphy played not only the lead role, but also all the inhabitants of a Harlem barbershop. The sequences were short, but Murphy was building the road to becoming the most brilliant character actor of our day. Soon followed the "Nutty Professor" movies, "Bowfinger", and his animated TV series, "The PJ's." In all these Murphy played a multiplicity of roles, and played them all brilliantly (the Academy's disdain for streetwise comedies, and--well, lets just say it--their dismissal of black performers not playing slaves or pimps, are the only explanations possible for Murphy not owning an Oscar or two by now). With these projects, Eddie was not only playing different characters, but also honing a new Eddie Murphy genre: raunchy, but intelligent; gross, but heartfelt; hilariously over the top in the particulars of plot, but firmly rooted in emotional reality. He has created or has been involved with, some of the arguably best comedies of the 1990's and onward--and has been responsible for inarguably the best comic performances of the era. So, in this era, Eddie decided to push the envelope by mixing the new Eddie Genre with the Horror films he loved as a kid. The result, "A Vampire in Brooklyn", is unsettling to some because the lines between Eddie's wildly improvisational Black (or African American, if you insist) character comedy to straight vampire horror movie are so starkly drawn. There are very few instances where the comedy and horror overlap. This, I feel, is the brilliance of the film. There are no horror moments broken by a punchline or bad joke, and there are no comedy moments punctuated by some kind of sick horror gag (that has been done to death since John Landis' "American Werewolf in London". Now its being beated to death by "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"). The funny parts are funny and the scary parts are truly scary. And Murphy also gets to shine in multiple well-defined character parts as well, as the shape-shifting African Vampire assumes the physical identity of several of his victims. "Vampire" failed at the box office not because it was a bad film--its definitely is not. But because it was too unusual a film for the limited abilities of the studio's marketing department to sell. Those going expecting to see a comedy were disappointed it contained so much pure horror, and those going to see it based on the publicity that painted it as a horror film were dissapointed it contained so much hilarious Murphy style comedy. It dies because of false expectations. Eddie's other films contained quick changes in tone as well--the shifts between bathroom comedy and pathos in the Nutty Professor films is no less abrupt than those between horror and comedy in "Vampire". It's just that the choice of horror as the second element mixed with the comedy is a more daring and unusual one.Years from now, "A Vampire in Brooklyn" will be viewed as one of the highpoints of the second phase of the Eddie Murphy Genre."

". . . I just had Italian"

Eric S. Kim | Southern California | 04/24/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Vampire in Brooklyn is suprisingly good! I would never expect to see Eddie Murphy as a vampire, but he was pretty funny onscreen. The jokes worked, but the creepiness in some parts of the film also worked. Also featured here is Eddie playing multiple characters (like in Coming to America and Nutty Professor); he as the preacher is the funniest out of all of them. Angela Bassett and Allen Payne are great as the detectives who start to see that Angela is the one that the vampire is searching for. This film in general isn't as good as the more classic Murphy films, but it's good for those who are looking for a good time and for those who are interested in urban vampires."

The funniest Vampire spoof I've ever seen!!!!!!!!

LadyLestat | Birmingham, Alabama United States | 08/07/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Eddie Murphy is funny in this movie but, his lackey Julius Jones (Kadeem Hardison) is even more hilarious. I didn't really take this movie all that serious but, it was fun to watch."

Pretty good film. Supporting cast steals the show.

Ervin Griffin | Bluefield, WV | 07/24/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While this horror/comedy is another vehicle for Eddie Murphy to do multiple roles and such, the stars of the film are Kadeem Harddison and John Witherspoon. More on that later.

In the film, Eddie is Maximillion, a black vampire who has recently escaped hunters in the carriebian to find the last of his tribe who is the result of an affair between a human woman and a vampire. This hybird, of course, is played by Angela Bassett named Rita.

Allen Payne also stars as Justice, Rita's cop partner and potential lover who ends up fighting to save her soul from being seduced into a life of a vampire of Maximillion.

Kadeem Harddison plays as Eddie's ghoul and henchman while John Whitherspoon plays Kadeem's uncle. The two get into some hilarious situations and help keep the movie light. In fact, I would dare say in some of their scenes, they steal the show and help save this film.

This is one where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each person plays their parts to perfection. A good film if you have a Saturday night to waste."