The Nutty Professor
An insecure chemistry professor's miracle weight-loss serum unleashes a swaggering alter ego who turns self-improvement into comic chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- comedy night
- 1990s nostalgia night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film sweet and good-hearted, with Eddie Murphy's dual-role performance carrying its juvenile humor and broad slapstick.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sherman Klump's weight-loss solution creates the separate personality Buddy Love, turning internal self-image conflict into a visible comic character.
Eddie Murphy portrays Sherman, Buddy, and multiple Klump family members, making impersonation and makeup central to the film's comic design.
Sherman experiments with rapid weight loss after a humiliating date and discovers that physical change alters his social reception without solving his deeper problems.
The film pairs Sherman's earnest romantic and self-worth arc with broad bodily comedy and Buddy's outrageous behavior.
Films like The Nutty Professor, and why
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Shares broad physical comedy, identity transformation, and an energetic lead performance built around multiple comic personas.
The Mask
Combines science-fiction transformation with romantic comedy, self-acceptance themes, and playful body-based humor.
Shallow Hal
Features an awkward protagonist using an extraordinary transformation to pursue confidence and romance in a high-concept comedy.
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom Shadyac
- Release Date
- 1996-06-28
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (3224)
Cast
- Eddie Murphy
- Jada Pinkett Smith
- James Coburn
- Larry Miller
- Dave Chappelle
- John Ales
- Patricia Wilson
- Jamal Mixon
- Nichole McAuley
- Hamilton von Watts
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Nutty Professor about?
- An insecure chemistry professor's miracle weight-loss serum unleashes a swaggering alter ego who turns self-improvement into comic chaos.
- What is The Nutty Professor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Nutty Professor as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Nutty Professor violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Nutty Professor.
- What did critics think of The Nutty Professor?
- Critics generally found the film sweet and good-hearted, with Eddie Murphy's dual-role performance carrying its juvenile humor and broad slapstick.
- Which films are like The Nutty Professor?
- Films with a similar feel include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Mask, and Shallow Hal.
- How long is The Nutty Professor?
- The Nutty Professor runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Nutty Professor?
- In United States, The Nutty Professor is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
