The Adventures of Pluto Nash

A Lunar Misadventure

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Note: Please try to support local writers by staying on their stories for 30 seconds or more.

The Adventures of Pluto Nash, directed by Ron Underwood and starring Eddie Murphy as Pluto Nash, is a science-fiction comedy that has earned its place as one of the most notorious box office flops in cinematic history. Released in 2002, it’s a film that’s often cited for its financial failure and critical planning.

The movie is set in the year 2087, where former smuggler Pluto Nash realizes his dream of owning a nightclub called Club Plutos on the Moon. The club becomes the hottest spot in town, offering seven days of non-stop partying. However, trouble comes knocking when Pluto dismisses a buyout offer of $10 million from the mysterious Rex Crater. Rex, determined to eliminate Pluto and seize the profitable Moon-based gambling business, sets the plot in motion.

The film’s downfall begins with its execution. Director Ron Underwood, who had not helmed a film since 1998’s Mighty Joe Young, appears out of touch. The action sequences lack finesse, the special effects feel cheap, and the humor falls flat. For a comedy, it sorely lacks the vital ingredient of genuine laughter.