Nutty Professor II: The Klumps

(Universal)

With this sequel, Eddie Murphy takes to its apex his Peter Sellers-like gift for multiple mimicry and for disappearing completely inside a variety of characters (not to mention inside make-up wizard Rick Baker's mounds of latex). He creates a family that, for all the members' idiosyncrasies and disagreements, functions as an organic unit. And they're all funny as hell. Buddy Love and the other Klumps serve as alter egos for Sherman, who's embarrassed by his own appetites. In order not to blow his engagement to fellow scientist Denise (a lovely but stiff Janet Jackson), Sherman uses gene therapy to split Buddy off into a separate person, but both men suffer drastic side effects. The collisions of Sherman, his relatives, and Buddy create comic sequences that build and resonate on enough levels to keep psychology thesis writers busy for years. The chemical reactions among the Klumps also create a byproduct of envelope-pushing toilet humor. (Two of the screenwriters are American Pie's Weitz brothers.) Just as Sherman can't exist without Buddy, so, apparently, rich comedy about family can't exist without vulgar gags about flaming flatulence, horny hamsters, and flapping, flabby, flesh.