Murphy's performance is pretty good most of the way, but he needed a stronger director than horrormeister Wes Craven to keep him in check.
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:27
Fresh:3
Rotten:24
Average Rating:3.7/10
Consensus: Neither scary nor very funny, this misguided effort never lives up to its premise.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Eddie Murphy is Maximillian, the last of a race of vampires from the Caribbean who travels to New York in search of Rita (Angela Bassett), an NYPD officer whom he considers to be the perfect woman... Eddie Murphy is Maximillian, the last of a race of vampires from the Caribbean who travels to New York in search of Rita (Angela Bassett), an NYPD officer whom he considers to be the perfect woman to carry on his dying bloodline. Once he hits Gotham, Maximillian has a series of fish-out-of-water adventures, which include posing as a street preacher, finding a slum apartment that he magically turns elegant, and dropping plenty of one liners. When Maximillian finds Rita, he must compete for her affections with her partner Justice (Allen Payne), which he does with the help of his faithful and decomposing sidekick Julius (Kadeem Hardison). Wes Craven (SCREAM, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET) directed this offbeat mix of comedy, horror, and romance, which could be seen as a genre flipside to Murphy's COMING TO AMERICA. [More]
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Allen Payne, Kadeem Hardison
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Allen Payne, Kadeem Hardison, Zakes Mokae, Joanna Cassidy
Director: Wes Craven
Director: Wes Craven
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Reviews for Vampire in Brooklyn
This modern fable is little more than a Murphy potboiler, something to while away a couple of hours, rather than fondly remember.
Craven can't keep the comic elements in balance with the horror, and as a result there's no tension or dramatic pull.
A big, glossy and mostly puerile project bound to please Murphy's fans.
Kadeem Hardison is the best thing about this film, playing Maximillian's slowly rotting ghoul henchman. However; one has to wonder about a film where Eddie Murphy needs comic relief.
Neither all that scary nor all that hilarious, Vampire in Brooklyn falls directly between the two, into the valley of mediocrity.
To call this a comedy is a sign of optimism; to call it a comeback for Murphy is a sign of blind faith.
They're no match, though, for the crushing disappointment of having to watch Murphy on the comic sidelines. It's like going to a Barbra Streisand concert and being asked to listen with her while the rhythm section sings.
Murphy's pale efforts are enough to make one fondly recall Blacula. Now that was one sucker who knew how to make a film that didn't.
Latest News for Vampire in Brooklyn
September 28, 2006:
Wes Craven To Write and Direct Again; Also Plans Horror Remakes…Of His Own Movies
Horror auteur Wes Craven has announced his return to making his original horror films, and is currently writing his first writing-directing project since 1994's "New... More...
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