Eddie Murphy attempts a wide range of roles in this rather simple comedy, though he largely fails to elicit any genuine laughter; the film feels less sophisticated than even the "Carry On" movies, which are comparable to Ingmar Bergman by contrast. It's true that he demonstrates some versatility—mainly because of the talent of the makeup artists who received an Oscar nomination (a total of 33 people are credited)—as he portrays the title character, his exaggerated wife “Rasputia,” and his adopted Chinese father "Wong," who manages the orphanage where he was abruptly left as a baby. When fellow orphan "Kate" (Thandiwe Newton) returns to their hometown, he's eager to revive their childhood bond but must first navigate his relationship with his wife and her fiancé “Delon” (Cuba Gooding Jr.). Simultaneously, the orphanage becomes a focal point when "Rasputia" and her group of troublemaking brothers develop plans for it, which only complicates matters further for "Norbit" and his romantic aspirations with "Kate," who also intends to purchase the property. Will he be able to resolve things and win her over? It may have seemed promising in development or perhaps Eddie Murphy simply assembled a team unable to offer constructive criticism; either way, after just a few minutes it becomes apparent that this is intended solely for his most devoted fans. The movie relies heavily on tired stereotypes, but not in a humorous fashion. The writing feels as though it’s aimed at an eight-year-old audience watching a stage show with exaggerated physical humor—and you can imagine the rest. On the positive side, the film moves quickly and the action is immediate, however I experienced more moments of discomfort than amusement, much less laughter. Johnny Depp managed to pull off wearing purple in "Wonkaland" back in 2005, but it doesn’t work for Murphy here. Nor does anything else. It's childish and crude; unfortunately, it just isn't funny.

Source on TMDB