The Adventures of Pluto Nash

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The Adventures of Pluto Nash is a 2002 comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Eddie Murphy as the owner of a lunar nightclub investigating who was behind the arson that destroyed his club.

Reception

The film was highly unsuccessful fiancially. Its budget was estimated at (U.S.) $100 million, with marketing costs of $20 million and the domestic box office (of which the studio typically receives about half) was $4,420,080 and $2,683,893 (overseas) for a total worldwide gross of $7,103,973. Eddie Murphy poked fun at himself in an interview with Barbara Walters about this movie by saying: "I know two or three people that liked this movie." Not even a US DVD rental gross of $25,400,000 could drag the film into breaking even.

The movie had its origins in the mid-1980s. The script went through numerous revisions and, upon completion of filming, sat on the shelf for two years, finally being released in August 2002. The majority of critics lambasted the movie for its acting, dialogue, lack of humor, and very poor and crude special effects. It was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Picture. Murphy himself seemed to sense how bad the film was, and did nothing to promote it upon its release. Production began in April 2000, and wrapped up in September 2000. At one point, Jennifer Lopez was cast for the role of Dina in this film, but eventually turned it down. Rosario Dawson was cast in her place.

As of 2008 this is the sixth-largest financial loss of any film ever made (after Stealth, Cutthroat Island, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, The Alamo, and Around the World in 80 Days), both in absolute dollar values, and adjusted for inflation.

Plot

In the decade of 2080, on a lunar colony called Little America, a retired smuggler named Pluto Nash (Eddie Murphy) buys a nightclub in order to fulfill a longtime wish and prevent the murder of Anthony Frankowski (Jay Mohr) (the club's previous owner) by his creditors. Seven years later, "Club Pluto" has become a successful business that is frequented by many socialites. Its staff consists of Pluto himself, a Hispanic assistant, and an anthropomorphic android robot named Bruno (Randy Quaid). Meanwhile, Anthony has become a stage performer under the name of Tony Francis. Tony has achieved interplanetary fame despite his apparent lack of talent.

Pluto is approached one night by a young woman called Dina Lake (Rosario Dawson), who has become stranded on the Moon and desires to earn money to pay for transport to Earth. She seeks help from Pluto because her father, "Nicky Sticks", was a friend of Pluto's. She offers her skills as a singer. Instead, Pluto gives her a job as server at his club and allows her to remain after closure. During the same night, Pluto is approached three times by messengers of a mysterious entrepreneur called Rex Crater, who wishes to buy Club Pluto and convert it into a gambling casino. Pluto refuses, and Rex Crater's minions destroy the club. Pluto, Dina, and Bruno escape. They begin to investigate Rex Crater as very little is known about him. A friend of his mother's, Rowland (Peter Boyle), informs Pluto that Rex Crater is never seen outside of a penthouse in the city of Moon Beach. Rex had been involved with a geneticist named Runa Pendankin, who specialized in cloning before her death.

Pluto and Dina visit Doctor Pendankin's apprentice, Mona Zimmer, who operates a cosmetic surgery station. They pose as a married couple attempting to revive their infatuation for one another by having their figures altered. After having seen several examples of commonly preferred body shapes and contours, they reveal that they have come for information regarding Doctor Pendankin's death. Having been intimidated by Pluto's bluffs, Zimmer reveals that Doctor Pendankin had worked for or with a Terrestrial criminal with the initials "WZW" inscribed on his briefcase prior to her death.

Pluto and Dina return to the hotel, and meet Pluto's mother, Flura Nash (Pam Grier). They are attacked by Rex Crater's assassins, who have tracked them to the hotel. Pluto takes Dina and Bruno to an abandoned smuggler's refuge.

At the hideout, Pluto mounts an Internet-based search for any Terrestrial criminal with the initials "WZW". When this yields nothing, Dina suggests that the initials are in fact "MZM", having been seen upside-down by Mona Zimmer. Pluto searches for "MZM" and discovers a criminal called Michael Zoroaster Marucci. Pluto suspects that Michael Marucci and Rex Crater are one and the same. Abruptly, he is contacted by his mother, who tells him that Rowland has been killed, and the hideout is attacked by Rex Crater's agents. A chase ensues, and the heroes escape, but their car is damaged and explodes, causing them to be presumed dead.

They are eventually rescued and taken to Moon Beach by Felix Laranga (Luis Guzmán), a smuggler who idolizes Pluto Nash. They infiltrate Rex Crater's casino/hotel. Tony (the former owner of Club Pluto) attempts to help them, but they are captured by Rex Crater's agents and taken to him.

Pluto accuses Rex Crater of being Michael Marucci; Rex Crater then reveals himself to actually be a clone of Pluto instead. He was created by Doctor Pendankin from Pluto's removed appendix, to act as public face of Michael Marucci's illegal activities, but who then killed Marucci. Rex and Pluto fight, while the others are left uncertain of which is the real Pluto or the clone. Pluto shoots Bruno; Rex's assistant Belcher (who assumes that Pluto would not damage his own robot)shoots Rex. Pluto orders Belcher to leave, and reveals his identity to Dina by speaking of her employment to him; Bruno was wearing a bulletproof shirt. Rex (also wearing a bulletproof shirt) attempts to garotte Pluto, but is thrown through a window and dies.

The movie ends with the heroes celebrating in the rebuilt Club Pluto.

References

See also

• Films considered the worst ever

External links

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Last updated on Tuesday March 04, 2008 at 19:51:54 PST (GMT -0800)
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