Eddie Murphy Starred In One Of The Worst Sci-Fi Movies Ever Made

Eddie Murphy is a legend, but he's starred in his fair share of stinkers. When it comes to the funnyman's worst performances, most folks think of "Norbit," which is generally viewed as a blight on cinema. However, let's not forget about "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," a sci-fi comedy from 2002 that's up there with the worst movies of all time. The thing about "Norbit," though, is that it set out to be a stupid comedy. 

"The Adventures of Pluto Nash" was a more ambitious affair, with the film commanding a hefty $100 million budget and boasting an impressive cast that includes Rosario Dawson and Randy Quaid. The story follows the titular character (Murphy), a Moon-based nightclub owner who gets on the wrong side of the Mafia. It's essentially a loose sci-fi remake of "Casablanca," which is a neat idea in theory. So, why is "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" such a dud? More than anything, it's just really boring. 

Murphy's performance is excruciatingly bland and fails to make use of his zany comedic talents. Of course, the script doesn't give him any good material to sink his teeth into, so we can't blame him for all of the film's faults. On Rotten Tomatoes, "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" has a 6% score. For context, that's around the same as "Battlefield Earth," a John Travolta ci-fi flop known as one of the worst movies ever made. Don't just take the critics' word for it, though, as Murphy isn't a fan of "The Adventures of Pluto Nash."

Eddie Murphy admits that "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" is one of his worst movies. What's more, he isn't the only person in his family who dislikes the critically lambasted sci-fi comedy. In fact, Murphy knew the film was bad after attending a screening with his son, who didn't mince words about it. "I remember the first time we watched 'Pluto Nash,' I had my son Myles with me. He was probably about eight," Murphy told the New York Times. "Myles is sitting there with me, and the movie's all soft. Then at the end, it goes silent, and my little baby son goes, 'Corny.' That was challenging. Even the baby knows it's corny." 

Fortunately, "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" didn't destroy Murphy's career, despite becoming one of history's biggest box office bombs at the time after only recouping $7.1 million. He's remained a permanent fixture in Hollywood since then, and bounced back from the flop with "Daddy Day Care" and other hits. Still, "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" really should have been better with all of the tools the filmmakers had at their disposal.